Irish Immigration During the Colonial Era
Map of Ireland
When most people think of Irish, St. Patrick's Day comes to mind, but most people don't know how Irish immigrants came to America. The first migration period was during the Colonial Era, were 250,000 Scot-Irish arrived mostly in New York and Philadelphia. Most settlers were farmers, laborers, military and religious protestors, and deported political prisoners.
Push and Pull Factors
During this time, England was the world power, but they weren't hospitable to the Irish. England created numerous brutal laws that kept Irish Catholics economically and socially oppressed. This caused the Irish to resent Britons. To prosper financially, the Irish departed for a better life to a somewhat free country. Soon, the Irish fuel the fire of the American Revolution.
Map of American Colonies
America is known as the "Land of Opportunity" and a mixture of different cultures, but there are pull factors that make America attractive to immigrants. Since America’s discovery, the thought of having endless possibilities has been alluring.