Lilia Vargas

History 2200
Question #3

For most, Americans was a grand opportunity for freedom. It was a land that promised
escape from their own home and start over. Many different people from all over the world gave
up their home land but for some starting over was but for some it wasn't so facile.The Irish
amongst many were treated poorly and had the most difficulty adjusting. They had to acclimate
to the immense lack of knowledge resulting in poor jobs, they were asked to renounce their
religion and the low stereotypes that segregated them completely. The Irish differ versus other
nationalities that migrated over to America such as the Germans, the Dutch and the British in
small ways but thus making the transition slightly more difficult.
To begin with the Irish left their country as a result of the Great Famine and
industrialization leaving many jobless leading the Irish to seek refuge somewhere else. Many of
which had little to no education. Thus, placing the Irish almost automatically at the bottom of the
monarchy upon arrival. They took lower level jobs to begin with and living in small overcrowded
homes in parts of Boston where it was almost exclusively only Irish. They took jobs as
dockworkers, farmers or even servants. Many jobs that involved manual laborers. Within many
families as well, the first born was taught all the knowledge from the parents and passed down
continuously throughout the generation therefore teaching the children, but many first borns
were killed and kept the knowledge with them unable to educate the rest of the siblings. Irish
were not feeble minded but in comparison to say the British they were not entirely up to par.
With that in mind, the Irish suffered subordinance from their intelligence, or lack thereof,
but also for their choice in religion. The majority of the irish were Catholic and resulting in even
more hostility from the majority of Protestants already in America. Many Irish children were sent
to Parochial schools and only until recently in 2007 did they open schools unassociated from
church. The Irish were known for their firm belief and devotion to the Catholic church, and then
they were being told they were not allowed to practice it. The Act of 1675 claimed it would not
recognize marriages as well as being unable to hold office, teach in colleges etc. if one did not
go under oath to renounce their allegiance to Catholicism. So not only are they put at the bottom
of society because they are not as intelligent but now they have to renounce something that is
part of Irish tradition.
Not only are they now told they must cease freedom of religion they also face another
hardship, they are ridiculed and stereotypes. The Irish were known as rowdy, frequently
disorderly drunks. They were always put lower and not only from the americans and british but
of their own homeland of Ireland. They had already got the short end of the sticks with their jobs
but now they have to suffer verbal abuse.
In comparison to other nationalities, the Irish had it worse than several others. For
example the Germans were mostly Protestants so their religious beliefs did not segregate them
but was encouraged. The Dutch also were not quite as affected by the migration to America for
the reason that the Dutch had business rights in the Hudson River giving them an advantage,
they also easily adapted to the customs. And the British were mostly influential and the largest
group to move to America, they spoke the same language and were intelligent establishing
many of the laws.
To conclude, the Irish suffered the hardest transition into America versus that of the
Germans, the Dutch and the British. They suffered from ridicule from their lack of knowledge,
their oppression of religion and the stereotypes. Moving to a whole new country, making it a
new home or so you thought and already you become the lower part of society. it made their
first experience to America an unpleasant one but it was a necessary one.

Siting
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/German-Americans.html

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Dutch-Americans.html

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/america.htm

http://ushistoryirishimmigrants.pbworks.com/w/page/36079988/Challenges%20of%20Irish%20I
mmigrants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Americans

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/English-Americans.html

http://ushistoryirishimmigrants.pbworks.com/w/page/36079988/Challenges%20of%20Irish%20I
mmigrants