Irish Americans are an ethnic group comprising Irish nationals and those with Irish ancestry.
Immigrants from Ireland first came to the US as far back as 1607, when a group known as 'the Irish servants' arrived in Virginia.
Since then, millions have immigrated to the US, making up more than 12% of all current US citizens who claim European descent.
Immigration has always had a profound and lasting impact on US history. Just looking at either Irish American history month or Italian American history, you will understand the significance of immigrants in the US.
No matter where they come from, Americans have shared a sense of collective destiny and common legacy based on their race, religion, nationality, origins, and geography.
Irish Americans are one such group that embodies the American Dream.
Irish Americans History
Irish Americans have had a long and fruitful Irish American history, similar to American English history. They were one of the first white colonizers of the United States.
Irish people have since influenced American society immensely, with their vast contributions to Irish cuisine, literature, dance, music, folktales, theatre, and philosophy.
Background
The history of Irish Americans can be divided into three distinct phases: the colonial era (1620-1800), the 19th century transition period (the 1800s), and the 20th-century modern period.
Throughout each period, there are notable events that shaped Irish life in the US.
Irish colonists began arriving in North America as early as the 1600s, where they would make small settlements on lands belonging to England.
They were the first great wave of immigrants from Europe who settled in America. Initially, they were considered cheap labor, used for building transport infrastructures such as canals and railroads.
The significance of this role can be measured by how Irish Americans helped build the Erie Canal, contributing significantly to the Great Lakes' economy.
During this period, they were discriminated against because they were Catholic, as anti-Catholic feelings ran high in the United States.
This subsequently led to widespread poverty among Irish Catholics living in America, which led to large Irish populations settling in urban cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City, and later Detroit.
What exacerbated this problem was that many Irish immigrants sought refuge in the US due to mass poverty and starvation in Ireland. As a result, they barely had a penny to their name when they were on US shores.
This animosity was further exacerbated as Irish men developed a reputation for abusing alcohol and fighting frequently. Americans who feared such behavior developed anti-Irish sentiments.
Irish Catholic Immigration To America
The first significant wave of Irish immigrants arrived in the 1720s. German immigrants started getting established about a century later.
Most of these Irish newcomers first arrived in Philadelphia, where trading channels for linen already existed.
Following independence, Irish history in the United States accelerated, with an estimated 1 million Irish immigrants arriving between 1783 and 1844.
Since most of these people were professionals or artisans, they were able to adapt and succeed swiftly.
They wrote home letters about the comforts an average Irish family could only dream of back then. In fact, many Irish began to save money for their journey to the free nation.
The illiterate and unskilled arrived in droves, eager to alter their fortunes. Either way, the majority of them found work as workers on some of Early America's largest infrastructure projects.
Irish Contribution To American Society
Irish people first arrived in America as slaves. Despite this, they went on to become some of the most influential Americans in the US today. If you take a look at Polish American history month, you will see several similarities.
Irish influence on American culture can be seen throughout the United States.
Indeed, St Patrick's Day has become a quintessentially American holiday, even though it is an annual celebration that usually includes Irish food and drink, music, dancing, and parades.
Their contributions to America are many and varied, ranging from the Irish man serving as General George Washington's right-hand man at Valley Forge to Irish novelists writing about the experiences of immigrants in America, such as James Joyce's Ulysses.
Irish immigrants brought St. Patrick's Day to the US with them, complete with parades and corned beef dinners.
However, Irish contributions in America go beyond that. They can be found at all levels of society, contributing to fields as diverse as law, business, finance, art, entertainment, education, and sports.
Irish American Education
Irish-American students regularly achieve high marks in school, rising to prominence as doctors, lawyers, politicians, and entrepreneurs.
Irish families take education very seriously; they raise their kids, emphasizing learning, knowledge, and self-discipline.
This has led to a tangible effect on the community. Irish Americans' literacy rate is notably higher than other demographics in America, about 37% above the national average as a whole.
Furthermore, as a percentage of all college graduates, they have been comparable with non-Hispanic whites at 14% for decades.
Irish American Law
Irish Americans played a key role throughout history in establishing schools and professional associations for lawyers.
Therefore, naturally, Irish scholars have established themselves as leaders in legal academia.
Irish immigrants brought their extensive knowledge of English common law to the US, which they quickly put to use.
Yet, despite their familiarity with the common law, the Irish did not abide by it. Instead, they formed separate townships to govern themselves using their traditional laws and customs.
Irish American Food
Irish American food seems to take inspiration from Italian American food history as it is rich in fat derived from animal products.
Some of the most famous examples, like corned beef, shepherd's pie, and colcannon, are known for being hearty on the palette.
Some of these dishes reflect Ireland's complicated history. For instance, the shepherd's pie wasn't even cooked until it was popularized in England during the Victorian era.
Evidently, Irish food has evolved with circumstances. As the world is increasingly concerned about healthy and nutritious diets, some dishes are also taking on a more contemporary form.
Now, there's a vegetarian version of colcannon that uses cauliflower instead of potatoes and kale instead of cabbage.
Irish American Sports
Irish Americans have contributed significantly to US sports history.
Although Irish Americans constitute only 8.5% of the US population as of 2013, Irish American contributions to American sports have been overwhelmingly significant.
Irish athletes continue to dominate many professional sports arenas today.
Irish Americans have made a colossal impact on the American sports scene. After fighting for equal rights as other Americans, Irish activists paved the way for future Irish athletes.
Famous examples include boxers John L Sullivan and Jack Dempsey, who both held World Heavyweight Championships.
Pat McCarran was considered one of the best basketball players in US history, even though he had a short career from 1904-1907.
Boxing
Boxing has always been criticized as a violent sport.
It does not help that many people have exhibited Irish American boxing pride throughout boxing history by participating in boxing matches, fighting at venues like Madison Square Garden, and training young boxers.
Ireland itself is known for boxing as well. In fact, it is the country's national sport!
In the early-20th Century, when Irish Americans were still predominantly poor and living in tenements, sports became a way out.
Boxers born into abject poverty, where crime was abundant, found an alternative to crime through boxing.
They used boxing as an outlet to release their frustration out on other people rather than turn to drugs or violence.
Baseball
Irish American participation in baseball traces its roots to when Irish immigrants had come to America for work and settled into New York City's Five Points District.
This was one of the most infamous of many such immigrant communities. Some of the immigrants brought their bat-and-ball games with them, eventually leading to their children mastering baseball.
Basketball
Irish Americans have become known as basketball lovers. Several basketball players from Irish roots have been successful in the NBA. They have made an excellent name for themselves and their ancestry.
The Clippers' Blake Griffin is a good case study. He is one of those basketball players with Irish American heritage.
He has been named an All-Star five times now, and he has already scored more than 20,000 points throughout his career.
In addition to that, he has also won four NBA Slam Dunk titles and three NBA scoring crowns. So, as you can see, basketball runs through his veins!
Tennis
Irish Americans have long been associated with tennis in both participation and awe-inspiring achievement.
Some of tennis' most prominent legends are Irish American, including 11 time Grand Slam singles champion Bill Tilden, two-time US Open winner Brian Gottfried, and Vinnie Richards. They held the World Hard Court Championships for seven years.
Irish American Music
Irish Americans have contributed substantially to music, dance, language songs, and literature.
Irish American music is undoubtedly Irish and American at once. It contains elements of Irish folk music combined with popular US music culture.
This fusion goes back to when the first Irish immigrants arrived in the United States in colonial times.
As early as 1825, Irish songs were being published in Boston. This includes the famous "The Groves of Blarney," published soon after an Irish revolutionary wrote it while hiding from British troops.
Since then, generations of Irish American musicians have contributed to the US's vibrant music industry.
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