The Irish were some of the most interesting and definitely major players in the construction and the politics of the United States we see today. What most do not know is, that after the Civil War, which many Irish fought in, the Irish provided a large part of the industrialization of America. Yes, the Irish rocked when it came to developing the infrastructure of America. They were considered the “canal and railroad builders of the United States” They ran factories, built railroads and were important factors in mining and building canals. Yes, they built the Erie Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge. It was no wonder the Irish prevailed in organizing the first trade union, which John Siney and John Welsh started. It was called the Workingmen’s Benevolent Association in Pennsylvania in the 1870’s.¹
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When they landed in Boston and New York during the Potato Famine they face discrimination and often made to sleep in deplorable conditions or work jobs that paid horribly. They were often taken advantage of and were slow to assimilate. They preferred to stick together and not be bothered by the Americans which in turn, made the American not want to accept them. There was an upheaval between the Protestant and Irish Catholics 1844.¹ A militant anti-Catholic formed a third political party nicknamed the “Know Nothings”.¹ This group had two main objectives. Not to let the Irish become naturalized citizens and to keep them out of politics. This, would have been great had they succeed; however, instead, it was the Irish on the rise. They joined the Democratic Party and began pushing back by placing Irishmen in every ward and precinct to insure that they could become candidates for
When they landed in Boston and New York during the Potato Famine they face discrimination and often made to sleep in deplorable conditions or work jobs that paid horribly. They were often taken advantage of and were slow to assimilate. They preferred to stick together and not be bothered by the Americans which in turn, made the American not want to accept them. There was an upheaval between the Protestant and Irish Catholics 1844.¹ A militant anti-Catholic formed a third political party nicknamed the “Know Nothings”.¹ This group had two main objectives. Not to let the Irish become naturalized citizens and to keep them out of politics. This, would have been great had they succeed; however, instead, it was the Irish on the rise. They joined the Democratic Party and began pushing back by placing Irishmen in every ward and precinct to insure that they could become candidates for