Irish and Dutch Immigration to America: Contributions by 1870

Introduction

What were the contributions of Dutch and Irish immigrants to America by the 1870s? What was the pattern of Dutch immigration into the new country, and what was the pattern of Irish immigration as it flowed from Great Britain to America? These and other questions are addressed in this paper through an examination of the scholarly literature on both immigrant groups.

Irish Immigration Patterns and Settlement

Where did the Irish settle when they arrived in the New World? Contrary to some historical writing, the Irish claimed every part of the new continent as their own — from the American South to the North and West as well as the East, according to author Janet Nolan (Nolan, 2009, p. 76). What set the initial wave of Irish settlers apart from immigrants from other European countries is that at certain times, Irish women outnumbered their male counterparts (Nolan, 77). The majority of female immigrants were single and traveled independently of brothers or fathers. This meant the wages earned by female Irish immigrants — many of whom were domestic servants — created a matriarchal immigrant society (Nolan, 78).

Many early Irish immigrants came to the New World having read guidebooks in Ireland that described America as "the paradise of the poor man," according to an article in the Journal of American Ethnic History (Miller, et al., 1991). As time went on and the harsh realities of life in early America became evident, laws were passed to discourage immigration — the Act of Union of 1800 being one example. Still, following the Irish potato famine of 1845, immigrants flocked to America in large numbers. An 1850 census showed there were 961,719 individuals in America who had been born in Ireland, with the majority living in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, and Illinois (Spartacus Educational).

What contributions did these Irish immigrants make? Many helped build the railroads in America, particularly in Illinois; others became coal miners in Pennsylvania; still others fought in the Civil War — approximately 40,000 on the Confederate side and 170,000 in the Union Army (Spartacus Educational). Irish voters were able to elect Irish mayors in New York City (Richard Croker) and in Boston (James Curley), demonstrating considerable political clout by the late nineteenth century.

Irish Women, Labor, and Community Building

Understanding the role of Irish women immigrants is vitally important, and Nolan offers several pivotal facts about their impact in America. First, the wages earned by Irish women funded the further immigration of siblings and other family members, and these remittances fundamentally influenced the decision of millions to leave Ireland and cross the Atlantic. Second, Irish women faced — and for the most part overcame — the same economic and physical challenges as Irish men. Third, the money earned by Irish women immigrants was often sent back home to support families through the post-Famine Irish economy, which was otherwise contracting (Nolan, 79).

Many farmers living in Ireland depended on the remittances of daughters in America for their very survival, Nolan notes. She also emphasizes that Irish women immigrants helped fund the infrastructure of the American Catholic Church, which was an enormous contribution to the emerging American nation (Nolan, 79). Though there was no typical Irish immigrant — there were exiles, opportunists, and those fleeing political persecution — Nolan insists that the men and women who immigrated from Ireland left a footprint rarely equaled, let alone surpassed, by newer immigrants. Sadly, as Lawrence McCaffrey observed (quoted by Nolan), the Irish in the United States were "the pioneers of the American ghetto" (80).

Information and communication about their successes and challenges was vitally important to all new immigrants in the United States. Author James M. Bergquist explains that between 1820 and 1870, several German newspapers regularly presented news brought to America by ship from the European homeland (Bergquist, 2008, p. 160). The Irish never could match the profusion of German newspapers, partly because so many within the Irish masses were illiterate, and also because the Irish were English-speaking — those who were literate had no difficulty reading mainstream English-language newspapers in America (160).

Conclusion

It is clear that the Dutch were known for their successful inclusion into the emerging American culture, from the colonial period through the late nineteenth century. The same cannot be said of the Irish, at least in terms of economic integration. The literature presented in this paper makes clear that the Irish largely arrived as impoverished workers with few specialized skills, many of them fleeing the devastation of the potato famine in search of a better life. The Dutch, by contrast, brought a strong work ethic and a range of practical skills, and they became economically self-sufficient with remarkable speed. Both groups made lasting contributions to the United States — the Irish through their labor, political organization, and support for the Catholic Church, and the Dutch through their agricultural innovations, skilled craftsmanship, and rapid economic advancement — and both left enduring marks on the fabric of American society.