Irish Potato Blight
1845-1852
Failing Potatoes
After the potatoes failed the Irish immigrated to countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Scotland.
Discrimination
When the Irish first arrived they were treated poorly because of their religion.
The "Know-Nothing Party" was founded in the 1840s to try and stop Irish immigration to America
Robert Whyte's Famine Journal
In these journal entries over the course of many months Robert explains life on the ship. He talks about the small rations of oats, the clusters of people in cabins, the diseases spread that makes the trip that much more unsanitary, and the horror when ships got to ports. Most passengers that made the journey did not live to see the new world.
Jobs
Because the Irish had no money after paying for tickets to new countries they had to take whatever jobs were available to them. That was mostly dock workers, street sweepers, servants, or factory workers. They still had very small wages and had to live in ghettos.
Finally accepted in America after Irishmen fought in the Civil War