The city of Boston, like many of America’s cities, was made up of a diverse group of ethnic backgrounds. Included in this
mix were the English, German, French, Italian, Black, and Irish. Irish
immigrants are a primary interest of topic.
The Irish came to America as a result of desperation. The potato famine left millions starving and in need of a new beginning. An estimated 2.5 million Irishmen came to America with Boston being a primary emigration port. Most would end up staying in the city because of lack in funds, and so started the mass population of the Irish in Boston.
I never realized how bad the Irish had it in coming over and establishing themselves in Boston. They were looked at as the lowest of all peoples in the city. Even the blacks, which in most places were considered the worst, were looked at in a higher fashion than the Irish was. Their lack of money immobilized them and caused a cluttering of Irish immigrants near the docks and other areas where work was available. With no stable Irish community base, the immigrants were left to find jobs for themselves. The majority was sucked into jobs of low wages that barely fed themselves, let alone their families. For this reason, daughters and sisters were also seeking jobs.
They lived in the slums of the city because they could not afford the tolls it would have cost them to go to work from a distant community. Tenements were always full with multiple families in rooms barely large enough to fit one family. The rooms consisted of two beds, a washtub, and if you were lucky, a window. A window that could not be opened during the summer because of the sewage smell, and in the winter it was far too cold.
Their inability to make any advancement in economic standing kept the Irish from establishing stable organizations or gaining political power. It was not until they agreed to support the Union when war was evident with the Confederacy, did they start to make advances in social class. When they did break free of the
problems they were experiencing and were able to establish themselves; their conflicting ideals with the rest of Boston were apparent. With some power in their hands, most still saw them as the menial labor of the city.
I do not think anyone is to blame for how the Irish were treated. As they came to America, they needed jobs. Boston was a place with some work and if the Irish were willing to work for cheap, then they could not turn them away. I would have taken what I could get if I was hungry and poor. If blame were to be placed on anyone, I would put it on the Irish for a lot of their problems. They were unwilling to open their minds to the other people of the city. Unwilling to send their children to school that was not catholic.
When I hear the name Boston, I immediately think of the Irish. For all they went through, I no longer wonder why they are famous for their drinking. It was the one thing in life they were superior at. I believe they should be commended for fighting through all that went on in their struggle for equality. So raise your glass in honor and down one for the Irish. But make sure you finish it all so a little of the "Luck of the Irish" rubs off on you. Then maybe you can struggle through a century of hardships and come out looking as good as the Irish.