The Importance Of Irish Immigration To America

Irish Americans are a key piece to the puzzle that is the United States of America. For hundreds of years they have been leaving the emerald isle to venture to the shores of America. The Irish are a proud people who love their country of origin. However, certain factors, especially in the 17 and 1800s forced many to call the United States home. In the 1700s Ireland mainly consisted of humble Catholics working the land. This was a problem for England who believed that the British isles should subscribe to the Church of England. In an attempt to rid Ireland of Catholicism, Queen Elizabeth I enacted “penal laws” that punished the Catholics for their beliefs. These laws were emboldened in the 1700s making the penalties for nonconformity even harsher (Penal Laws, 2017). Then in 1741, after many cold winters came the Great Frost. It saw sub zero temperatures across the country, and ended up being one of the coldest winters in Ireland’s history. This made for a terrible harvest and food stocks dwindled while prices skyrocketed (Jones & Briffa, 2006). Religious persecution and starvation were the catalysts for the first wave of emigration to America. …show more content…
While not as many Irish were still farmers the dependence on their crops persisted. Many Irish were not well off and the potato was integral to their survival. Roughly one hundred years after their previous famine, the Great Potato Famine struck. It was caused by a disease that made the potatoes inedible. As a result, one million people died from starvation or disease related illness (Mokyr, 2017). Conversely, the young United States was booming. There were plenty of jobs thanks to the revolution. Nearly two million Irish people looking for a better life once again set out for