Reasons for Immigration
In colonial times, the Irish population in America was second in number only to the English. Many early Irish immigrants were of sturdy, Scotch-Irish stock. Pushed out of Ireland by religious conflicts, lack of political autonomy and dire economic conditions, these immigrants were pulled to America by the promise of land ownership and greater religious freedom.
Irish-Catholic immigrants came to America during colonial times, too, and not all Irish-Catholic immigrants were poor. For example, wealthy Charles Carroll immigrated to America in 1661. Almost a century later, his descendant, also Charles Carroll, signed his name to the Declaration of Independence.
Irish Immigrants
Ireland’s 1845 Potato Blight is often credited with launching the second wave of Irish immigration to America. The fungus which decimated potato crops created a devastating famine. Starvation plagued Ireland and within five years, a million Irish were dead while half a million had arrived in America to start a new life. Living conditions in Ireland were deplorable long before the Potato Blight of 1845, however, and a large number of Irish left their homeland as early as the 1820s.
Between 1820 and 1860, the Irish constituted over one third of all immigrants to the United States. In the 1840s, they comprised nearly half of all immigrants to this nation.
Irish contributions to American Culture
The great number of Irish who entered the United States from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries were changed by America, just as they changed this nation. They achieved lives that would not have been possible in Ireland, supporting their families and bringing a better life to their fellow Irish in the United States and in Ireland.
In turn these immigrants contributed to the "American culture" in many ways. They became political and religious leaders. They used their drive and charm (and their "way with words") to achieve special success in journalism, entertainment and sports. Popular perceptions of the fierce Irish temper, introduced such terms as "Paddy Wagon," "Donnybrook" and "Fighting Irish" to the American language. Among the early immigrants to the United States, the Irish are now assimilated in all aspects of this nation, but they still retain pride and identity in their Irish heritage.
Customs and Practices
The Irish brought with them the structure of their Irish heritage in the form of the Catholic Church. They were the first large group of Catholics to immigrate to what was a predominantly Protestant part of North America. With their religion as their base they created organizations to support and take care of their own. Later many Irish were instrumental in the labor union movement.From their Catholic religion also sprang two holiday traditions that are now widely practiced in the United States. These Holidays are St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween. St. Patrick’s day is a celebration of Saint Patrick, the patron saint if Ireland, and on that day it is often said that "everyone" is Irish. Traditional Halloween customs were a tradition brought to America in the 1840’s by Irish immigrants. Early Halloween traditions consisted only of pranks; these pranks included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates. Pranks such as these began in areas of New England, where Irish immigrants settled, and spread, over time, to other areas of the country.