Great Irish Famine's effect on the United States economy
The Great Irish Famine's effect on the United States economy was substantial.
Irish immigration to the
Additionally, this rise in population also helped decide the outcome of the Civil War. The Irish emigrants who found their way to the South during the Great Famine saw the situation between the North and the South not unlike their previous situation between Ireland and Britain where they had felt exploited because while there was free trade between Ireland and Britain, Ireland provided potatoes and beef to England while receiving manufactured goods in return.[1] However, while manufacturing jobs pay well the jobs of farm laborers do not; thus, the new Irish in the Southern United States felt the North exploited their new home in the South the same way.[1] Because the Irish emigrants in the South could understand the plight of their new home many willingly took up arms against the North during the Civil War. To counter this, the Union Army employed 144,000 Irish-born troops during the War most of whom were drafted to serve. While a draftee could elude duty by paying $300 most Irish emigrants were too poor to do so, and had to fight.[2]
Originally, Irish emigrants found work hard to find and many job advertisements included the phrase "
References
- ^ ISBN 0-7618-2345-X.
- ^ ISBN 0-8050-5313-1.