By Nico Katsafanas

Irish and German Immigration1840-1850

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Why They Immigrated

1. Irish potato famine.From 1845-1852 potato blight struck Ireland causing mass starvation and widespread poverty.The famine also caused disease to strike all over the island nation.

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Why the Germans left.

1. Collapse of German Industrial Revolution.A failed revolution in Germany caused many to lose faith in their governments ability to be stable. Also reforms of agriculture folded and caused many farmers to leave.

How they got There.

• Many people in Ireland picked up their bags and belongings and left via ship across the Atlantic ocean.

• The voyages were expensive even though the ships were extremely crowded and filthy.

• So many people died on these voyages that the boats were nicknamed “Coffin Ships”

• Many Germans also came on similar ships with similar conditions.

When the Irish arrived

• From the minute the Irish immigrants left the boat they were greeted by men called greeters.

• The greeters would persuade them into buying apartments for ridiculous prices.

• The apartments were actually small filthy hovels without any means of cooking or normal home based activity.

• The average room was 9x11 feet for a family of 6.• The greeters would also entice the immigrants with

promises of work and money.

How Many Came

• In 1846 over 92,000 Irish immigrants came.• In 1847 nearly 200,000 Irish came.• In 1848 more than 205,000 Irish immigrated.• 1849 the largest immigration over 210,000 Irish

immigrants came to the United States.• By 1854 over 2 million immigrants of Irish

descent had arrived.• By 1850 more than 1 million Germans had come

to America also.

Where they settled

• Most Germans moved to New York, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati. Nowadays Pittsburgh has a very high concentration of German heritage.

• The Irish settled in Boston and New York as well. • Overcrowding soon became an issue and jobs

were scarce. People already living in Boston who wanted jobs resented the Irish for taking them. Many employers also put up signs that said “Irish Need Not Apply.”

What they did to live.

• Few German immigrants had a decent education and went into fields of science and engineering. Many were farmers and field workers.

• Irish on the other hand were mostly laborers who built rail roads, canals, bridges, and other public works projects.

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