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Period: to
Population Increase (Ireland)
There was a population increase between 1750 and 1800 and changes in agriculture pushed people off their land which was one of the main causes for migration (Berkin et al., 2016). -
Irish Potato Famine
The repeated failure of potato crops led to widespread famine and starvation. This also led to migration (Berkin et al., 2016). -
Period: to
Civil War
Some Irish citizens were accepted because of their participation in the Civil War. This helped them gain respect and acceptance which trickled down to their 2nd/3rd generation family which helped them in the United States (An overview of Irish immigration to America from 1864 to the 1900s, n.d.). -
14th Amendment
This amendment grants citizenship to those who are born in the United States and those that are naturalized. This gives them the protection of rights and to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (The Citizenship Clause, n.d.). But, this meant that it would be difficult for those that were not born here to gain citizenship. This would mean that not all immigrants were granted citizenship and rights. -
Irish Immigration
Many Irish immigrants came in high levels in the 1890s. Some of them came before the Civil War, but most came in the 1890s. These immigrants mostly found work in the expanding industries (Berkin et al., 2016). -
Reducing immigration
Many saw immigrants as a threat to jobs and wage levels so labor organizations worked to limit immigrants (Berkin et al., 2016). -
Religious Discrimination
Many Irish natives were Catholic, which there was a lot of resentment towards. In 1894, Catholics were highly discriminated against as the American Protective Association worked against them to limit their strength and ability to work in America (Berkin et al., 2016). -
Overall for Irish Immigrants
Although most Irish immigrants were living in poverty in the early 1900s, they eventually saw an improvement in economic circumstances and the ability to get jobs (An overview of Irish immigration to America from 1846 to the 1900s, n.d.). Overall, the Irish experienced religious and cultural discrimination but eventually overcame this and were accepted to America.