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Moving to America
My name is Lorna O’Malley. It comes from the 1860s novel, Lorna Doone, which happens to be one of my favorite books. I hope to be a writer someday. I moved to America to find a job so that I could buy food. I am lucky that I am Irish and not Chinese, because right now they have the Chinese Exclusion Act, which bans Chinese Immigration. I am also lucky that I was born after the Potato Famine, which was from 1845 to 1852. That would have made it difficult to survive in Ireland before I left. -
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Immigration and Westward Expansion Timeline
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Searching for a Job
I was poor in Ireland, so I need to find a job in America to feed myself. I should be able to find a job in a factory or possible in Thomas Edison’s laboratory. The Supreme Court Decision, San Mateo County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, gave corporates and all people living in the U.S. the same rights. I have been thinking of starting a farm in the spring, so I can make money without being dwarfed by the large corporations. I will begin constructing a barn and fences for grazing animals soon. -
Moving West and Finding a Horse
Because the Native Americans stole my horse, I need to move west where I can get free land and buy a new horse. There is currently a surge of Industrialization, and this era is called the Gilded Age. Unfortunately, I am still struck with poverty. I will be lucky if I can find a horse around here before all of the land in the West is taken. Because it is free land, many people are rushing to claim the West. -
Getting Land in the West
To get the free land, you had to have a horse and race on it to claim your land before anyone else could, and I still needed to buy one. I lived in a small, cramped apartment in the poorer part of town. I was envious of the richer people, who lived in palace-like mansions. If I could survive through the winter time, I might have been able to start my own small business and get enough money for a decent-sized home and enough food and supplies. -
Stocking Up for Winter
It is the middle of December, and soon it would be cold outisde. I needed to go to the market to buy food and clothes so that I could survive the winter. The first permanent commercial central power system in New York City was installed last year, but we didn’t know if it would last us through the winter. When I stocked up on supplies, I would talk to some of the store owners about if they thought I could purchase farm animals in the spring to start a farm. -
Irish Discrimination
In the spring I would be able to purchase farm animals. Then, hopefully, I would not be in poverty. A lot of workplaces wouldn't hire Irish immigrants. I had not been able to find a job because of my telltale accent and Irish features. Ever since I left the shores of Eire, I had been discriminated against. That hadn't been a problem, but I had been in desperate need of work for some time. If I started a farm, maybe people would treat me better if I sold to them. -
Starting My Farm
I was going to buy farm animals when I went into town, so that I can get some money from selling their milk and eggs. My land had space for crops to grow, and it had fenced-in grazing pastures next to an almost-finished barn. I should be able to finish the barn in a few days, and then I can buy some cattle. I can start growing sugar crops, which will require a large capital investment and possibly some hired help to tend to the fields and cattle.
