Irish Immigration and Cultural Conflict in the 1840s “Not Even a Spud to Eat” Irish Immigration and Cultural Conflict in the 1840s

Sponge Activity What country provided the source of the majority of the immigrants entering the United States in the 1840’s and 1850’s? England France Germany Ireland China Put the events below in chronological order: 2nd Great Awakening Seneca Falls Convention Women’s participation in the movement for abolition Women win the right to vote

Introduction Today we turn our attention to the most significant immigrant group of the nineteenth century, the Irish. We will look at the Irish experience in the United States in the 1840s and 1850s. We will also seek to answer two questions: how did Irish immigration affect American society? How did America’s middle and working class “natives” see the Irish newcomers? The contact between the Irish and Americans gives us great insight into social conflict and cultural change occurring in the USA during the years leading up to the Civil War.

Where did all the potatoes go? When and why did the Irish come to America? The Irish came to America in huge numbers in the mid-1840’s out of sheer desperation. Irish immigration was caused by a long history of English colonization and subjugation. Ireland had been colonized and ruled by British for 2 centuries The Irish lost land to the English over these years who wanted their land for pastureland Population increase beginning in late 1700s forced the Irish to work smaller plots most of their lands or “lots” were used to produce goods for British landlords

Where did all the potatoes go? For the Irish, the potato had emerged as main source of food/cheap for most of the Irish. Easy to raise High productive yield Good source of calories Potato blight In 1845, the potato crop suffered partial blight In 1846-48, the crop was completely destroyed. The result lack of food for families and increased debt landlords to kick those who couldn't pay rent off land Estimates that over 1.5 million Irish perished from hunger between 1846-1851 (close to 20% of the Irish population)

Where did all the potatoes go? In the late 1840s and early 1850s, over 1.5 million Irish migrated to American cities Migration fueled by sheer desperation Like many immigrants today, many families saved or sold all they had to send one or two family members to the US Those who came sent back money to bring other family members Irish immigrants differed radically from earlier immigrants (German or English) The first and only “peasant” migration of 19th century truly poor Illiterate and without skills To poor to move inland and disperse Catholic

The Irish and the American Economy How did the Irish affect the US economy? The arrival of the Irish coincided with the dramatic transformation of the American economy during the early 1800s. Spread/growth of the market economy The old artisan economy was being transformed Mechanization and the growth of factories deskilling of the labor force Declining wages for American workers Workers become less independent “native” workers reacted to these changes by organizing early craft labor unions emergence of class consciousness among artisans now seeing themselves linked beyond craft –as part of a larger working class argue that they were producers and should get a bigger pay from their labor than the owners or capitalists received

Irish and Politics Rise of Nativism Even before great rush of Irish in 1840s, nativism had been on the rise in the United States Fueled by the arrival of a small number of German and Irish immigrants in the 1830s led some to see the Catholic Pope as threat to republican order Grew worse because many Irish Catholics wished to use Catholic version of Bible in public schools, resisted Protestant conversion Native workers blamed Irish Catholics, not their bosses, for their declining economic status, lower wages, and loss of employment

Irish and Politics Many native-born Protestant workers saw more in common with their Protestant bosses than Irish Catholics The Whig Party benefitted from the spread of nativist anti-immigrant anger Whigs home to reformers of middle class ideas of The Irish rallied to the Democratic Party who saw the Irish vote as a force that could help decide elections in their favor

Irish and Politics By 1850, a new political party, the Know-Nothing Party (Order of Star-Spangled Banner) appeared drew upon nativist sentiment Goals: extend naturalization from 5-21 yrs literacy tests to disfranchise immigrants restrict offices to the native-born exclusive use of the Protestant Bible in public schools

Irish and Politics By 1854, the Know-Nothings had gained control of PA and MA and some seats in Congress Their gains were short lived as another new party, the Republican Party appealed to nativist and other “reform” groups of the period.

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict Nativist beliefs were fueled by the economic and political threats of the period. Middle-class reformers targeted the Irish for political and cultural reasons Recall how the Second Great Awakening influenced middle-class attitudes in this period many in middle-class believed that they could change people Temperance Abolition Women’s rights These attitudes influenced how many reformers perceived the Irish: Transform the Irish into a middle class, Protestant mold

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict Education Irish saw little importance in education They held unskilled, menial jobs survival more important than education They encouraged children to work Avoided public schools controlled by Protestants

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict Despite the efforts of middle-class reformers, the Irish refused to conform to middle-class American values. Family Life Irish had higher Birth Rate Refused to use contraception Believed children needed to work and help the family Reformers saw this as irresponsible The Irish had lots of children, which meant they had lots of sex, had a lack of sexual control, were unpious, and ruled by animal passions

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict Middle-class reformers found Irish cultural life shocking, vulgar, and immoral Recall separate spheres ideology “womanly” women minimized what they saw in public of others and what others saw of them Wore muted colors, covered all flesh, hat and glove, etc.

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict Neighborhoods and Street Life Reformers went to Irish wards and neighborhoods to convert them to middle-class values and respectability What they saw horrified them tenement life was crowded, filthy, no privacy Irish street-life unlike middle-class neighborhoods Active street life Single, working-class women participated in it Many Irish women dressed provocatively—seen middle-class reformers as prostitutes

Irish Family Life and Cultural Conflict The affect of these cultural differences and the unwillingness or inability of Irish to conform to middle-class values led many natives to discriminate and marginalize Irish Americans. In fact, in the 1850s, native-born, Protestant Americans came to believe that the Irish were indeed a separate race.

Conclusion The arrival of Irish immigrants in the 1840s challenged American society in a way that would become increasingly more common over the 19th and 20th centuries. The apparent “difference” of the Irish generated fear and hatred. The working class blamed them for the demise of traditional work patterns and loss of economic status. The middle class came to believe that since they couldn't reform the Irish, the Irish must be, like blacks and Indians, a separate and inferior race.