Irish immigrants moved out of Ireland for a few reasons, such as the religious conflicts,

slave trade by British, food shortage, and other new immigrants in America attracts people to

move in. Many Irish people came to the United States in the mid of 1900s. From the interview

with my host family, I have known more about where they came from and why they chose

America to move in. As I’ve learned from my host dad, Peter O’Neil has many interesting stories

about his family history. The American tradition is multiculturalism, my host dad’s family is

from an Irish American family. Through the interview, I have known about my host family

history which is about Irish people who moved from Northern Ireland to America. Since 1950,

the mass exodus was popular in Ireland, and a large amount of people had moved out from

Ireland. During mass exodus in 1950, not only my family moved to the US, but also other ten

million people moved out of Ireland. Peter was born in an Irish catholic family in 1957 in

Belfast, a Northern Ireland city. Peter’s father moved to Browns, New York in 1957. Then, his

mother and him moved from Belfast to New York as well in 1958. There were too much

conflicts and fighting in Northern Ireland. My host dad moved out because there were too many

conflicts and fighting over there. It provoked my curiosity about some interesting family stories

that have been passed down through generations from Irish to Irish American. There were some

push factors in Ireland that made citizens move out of the country, and America had pull factors

that pull people immigrate.

The push factors of the conflicts in Northern Ireland could not be eliminated, and they

brought problems to many different areas. Religion affects Irish history a lot because it caused

war, violence, and death. There are two main religious groups in Ireland. Roman Catholic and

Protestant which locates in the northern province of Ulster. Catholic Irish believes Ireland should
be an independent country when it was under the ruled by English. On the opposite, Protestants

supported British rule of Ireland, they were known as Loyalists (Te Ara). So the religion

conflicts started, Ireland broke down into two part. Irish people against each other by the division

of two religions. Catholic Irish had no love for the British, so at the time they were fighting

against Protestants, they were standing against England as well. Religious conflicts are the

beginning of wars in Ireland, so religion affect Ireland history a lot. During the time of different

conflicts occurred, many people moved out of Ireland. Different conflicts made people lives no

more normal, destructions may wipe out their houses. So Irish left for a country that they can

build new homes and live safe. After the Irish War of Independence, in 1921, Ireland was

divided into two. Except the northern part is Ulster, the rest of Ireland by Catholic. And Ulster

belongs to England. And Catholic achieved their goal which is self-government within the

British Empire (Te Ara).

The first Irish immigration to America began with slave trade. There is one history that

time forgot, that is the Irish slave trade. Comparing Irish slave trade with African slave trade,

there is a big difference between the population which people remember. British laws had been

enforced in Ireland. During the time that was ruled by Oliver Cromwell’s president, the

population was reduced by two thirds. “​In 1629 a large group of Irish men and women were sent

to Guiana, and by 1632, Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat in the West

Indies” (​Sit, G. John. The Irish Slave Trade​). ​ Irish people were killed in battles or sent to work

as slaves in the Caribbean. The data shown that Cromwell specifically targeted a large number of

Irish children in the Irish trade. Later, the Irish slave trade expanded to Virginia and New

England, and others further colonies. “Unlike their African counterparts, the period in slavery for
the Irish was limited, lasting from 7 to 20 years. And the Irish slave trade continued until Britain

abolished slavery in its colonies” (​Sit, G. John. The Irish Slave Trade​). So the first Irish

immigration was started by the forced under English law, which was by the slave trade.

The food shortage by potato between 1845 and 1850 was caused by a devastating fungus

that destroyed Ireland’s potato crops. The issue resulted in over a million Irish immigrate which

was twice of the number of the first Irish immigrate. And “500,000 of them to the United States,

where they accounted for more than half of all immigrants in the 1840s” (Mokyr, Joel. “Great

Famine”). Ireland locates off the northwestern coastline of europe, irish soil can grow potato

easily. So potato is a staple crop to grow and it has became the most popular plant in Ireland and

the Europe. But when the famine occured in Ireland which was caused by the English. The

English was intentionally from destroying foodstocks, potato crop failed in successive years. It

was a disease that destroyed potato plant and it spread around the country. Farmers in Ireland

could not grow any potatoes like before anymore, they were struggled providing themselves and

to supplying the British market with potato crops. The declines in agricultural led the situation

that it was impossible for small farmers to do the business. In those years, potato crop was

almost completely ruined, so there was not enough food that can provide. People got starved and

farmers became poorer, thereby, people had to move out of the country. The consequences of the

famine continued to spur Irish emigration into the 20th century. Still, due to poverty and disease,

Irish left for America where farmers can make a better business. And America’s agriculture can

solve the problem of their hunger strike.

Last but the not least, a country with good conditions will attract more people to move in,

such as the US. The US is a country of immigrants because it has a large size of land and strong
Laws after the Civil War. United state has freedom, safety, opportunities that Ireland does not

have. United State is a country of immigrant because it has lot of lands and it has laws following

the Civil war, “the supreme court in 2875 declared regulation of immigration a federal

responsibility” (US Citizens and Immigration Services). US compares to others countries, it

established the stable immigration legislation in the early 1800s. So it welcome people

immigrants from different countries. United state is a country differ from Ireland. It is a country

of freedom, the first amendment make it different. Freedom of religious keep the right of all

people of their own beliefs and open to show in the public without fear of being denied or

discrimination. “Freedom of religion protects not only individuals, but also the religious

organizations that make faith communities possible”（Religious Freedom: The Basics).

Compare to religious conflicts in Ireland, America seems much more safety and have the

freedom to believe in different religions. America provides work opportunity to new

immigrants, after the first industrial revolution. United state focused on textiles, iron and the

railroads which need large number of labor. The required of labor attracted more immigrate for a

better employment. The increased of wealth and a better standard of living in America. Irish

migrants chose to established new lives in United state like my host dad.

In conclusion, persecution, fear, natural disaster, poverty and unemployment are the push

factors that push people left Ireland, and America as the neighbor country attracts Ireland at the

same time.