Irish Immigration
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Ireland can be argued, as the country in which is most famous for its mass exodus of immigration then all of its surrounding European countries. These waves of immigrants did not see the United States as just a land of opportunity but instead a haven to flee escaping a lack luster economy, poverty, starvation, and disease which have plagued Ireland for decades. Reasons for this mass population of Irish immigration to the United States will be discussed in further detail focusing on two major waves of Irish immigration. The first wave of immigration caused by the Great Potato Famine in Ireland and the second most resent resurgence of Irish immigration in the early 1980s. Life in Ireland, the "push" factors, and what happened after coming to America resulting from these two waves of immigration will be the topic focused on throughout the reading.
To completely understand the Great Potato Famine, events need to be examined nearly a half a century prior to 1845 when the potato blight began to appear. In 1793 a war broke out between France and Great Britain causing Britain to depend on the Ireland as their chief provider of food sources (Magnusson). This relationship proved good for Ireland causing an agricultural boom in the early part of the 19th century. This high level of prosperity led to a high birth rate resulting from Ireland's ability to support a growing population with its flourishing new economy. Then in 1815 France and Britain reached a peace treaty allowing Britain to once again trade freely among other European countries reducing exports to Britain from Ireland causing a decline in the economy...