A History of Irish-americans

Irish Americans number over forty-four million,large number of Irish Catholic women took jobs
twelve percent of the total American population,as maids in middle class households and hotels.
the only larger ethnic group areAlthough they started very low on the social
German-Americans. The largest Irish-Americanscale, by 1900 they had improved themselves
communities are in Chicago, Boston, New Yorkand were on a par with the average wage. After
City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Kansas City and1945, they began to enter the higher ranks of
Savannah, Georgia. Irish people and beenthe social hierarchy, this was especially a result of
emigrating in considerable numbers to the Statestheir high rate of college attendance. The annual
since the 1760s, however it was during and aftercelebration of St. Patrick's Day is the most widely
the Great Famine of the 1840s that literallyrecognised symbol of the Irish in America when all
millions sailed west across the Atlantic. After 1860,things Irish are celebrated, the New York parade
Irish immigration into America continued withattracts upwards of two million people. According
family reunification attracting people into theto the latest census, the Irish language ranks
major cities where Irish ghettos were established.sixty-sixth out of the three hundred and twenty
They were hired by Irish labour contractors totwo languages spoken today in the U.S., with over
work in labour gangs on the railroads, streets andtwenty-five thousand speakers.
other construction projects, Irish men also found 
employment in the police departments, fireRussell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring
departments. Many departments maintain largeIreland, the leading specialists in customised,
'Emerald Societies', bagpipe marching bands orprivate escorted tours, escorted coach tours and
other units demonstrating their Irish heritage. Aindependent self drive tours of Ireland.