The irish immigration in the USA

The irish immigration in the USA

The push and pull factors of immigration :

https://lhistgeobox.blogspot.com/2010/08/216-sinead-oconnor-dear-old-skibbereen_31.html#:~:text=La%20chanson%20traditionnelle%20Dear%20Old,se%20r%C3%A9soudre%20%C3%A0%20l'exil.

https://www.liveabout.com/dear-old-skibbereen-3552912

Oh father dear, and I often hear you speak of Erin's isle
Her lofty scenes, her valleys green, her mountains rude and wild
They say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell
Then, why did you abandon it?
Oh, the reason to me, tell

My son, I loved my native land with energy and pride
'Til a blight came over all my crops and my sheep and cattle died
The rents and taxes were to pay, and I could not them redeem
And that's the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

'Tis well do I remember the bleak November day
When the bailiff and the landlord came to drive us all away
They set the roof on fire with their cursed English spleen
And that's another reason I left old Skibbereen

Oh, your mother too, God rest her soul, lay on the snowy ground
She fainted in her anguishing, seeing the desolation 'round
She never rose but passed away from life to immortal dreams
And that's another reason I left old Skibbereen

Oh, you were only two years old and feeble was your frame
I could not leave you with my friends, for you bore your father's name
I wrapped you in my cóta mór at the dead of the night unseen
And I heaved a sigh and I said goodbye to dear old Skibbereen

Oh well, father dear, and the day will come when in vengeance we will call
And Irish men, both stout and tall, will rally unto the call
I'll be the man to lead the band beneath the flag of green
And loud and high, we'll raise the cry, "Revenge for Skibbereen!"

[pic 1]Penal Laws, 18th century

https://influencesofirishimmigration.weebly.com/push-and-pull-causes.html

         "Old Skibbereen" is a traditional Irish folk song. The song is a told conversation between father and son, with the father explaining about the Irish famine and being evicted from their home. He said to him « Til a blight came over all my crops and my sheep and cattle died/ The rents and taxes were to pay, and I could not them redeem »

         Indeed, Economic Decline in Ireland is a major factor of irish immigration. The more commonly known cause was the Great Potato Famine of the mid-nineteenth century. The country then desenly populated relied heavily on the potato crop. When the blight struck in 1845 and the crop failed there was not enough food to feed the whole population. An estimated 1.1 million people died from either disease or starvation.

          Moreover, Religious Discrimination in Politics are also a factor of irish immigration. In fact, during the 17th century, Ireland was controlled by England and its Anglican population. The Anglicans wanted to weaken the power of the Irish Catholics. To do so, Parliament passed the Penal Laws. Along with many other things, the Penal Laws banned priest and bishops from Ireland, prohibited Irish Catholics from studying at Catholic schools in Europe, and did not allow them to vote. They were also not allowed to purchase  land which was a major source of wealth.

            Finally, the Irish were pulled to America by the promise of land ownership, greater religious freedom and the promise of large plots of fertile land as a welcome gift fueled the desire of the Irish, most of whom were farmers. The myth of the gold rush held out the promise of future prosperity, and the American Dream consolidated the hope of a better life and a new beginning.

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