They also had a hard time finding workers. Since the country was in the middle of a civil war, the men were off fighting. Most of the workers for the Union Pacific consisted mostly of Irish immigrants. Years earlier, in Ireland, a potato blight caused many Irishmen to leave and come to America. Many had been working on building the Erie Canal. Once that was completed, they had difficult time finding jobs. The Irish were discriminated against because they were looked at as poor, uneducated, troublemakers, and their religion was Catholic among a Protestant nation. Many businesses hung signs that stated, “Irish need not apply” or “No dogs or Irishmen allowed.” They were, nevertheless, able to find work on the
They also had a hard time finding workers. Since the country was in the middle of a civil war, the men were off fighting. Most of the workers for the Union Pacific consisted mostly of Irish immigrants. Years earlier, in Ireland, a potato blight caused many Irishmen to leave and come to America. Many had been working on building the Erie Canal. Once that was completed, they had difficult time finding jobs. The Irish were discriminated against because they were looked at as poor, uneducated, troublemakers, and their religion was Catholic among a Protestant nation. Many businesses hung signs that stated, “Irish need not apply” or “No dogs or Irishmen allowed.” They were, nevertheless, able to find work on the