Similarities Between Irish And German Immigrants

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Unique Experiences of the Irish and Germans A large influx of immigrants was brought to America between the years of 1830 and 1860. These immigrants came prominently from large European countries, such as the Irish and the Germans, two main immigrant groups that settled in the Americas during this time period. The experiences of these unique nationalities differed in the hardships they faced within their home country and the areas of settlement they chose to inhabit; however, both nationalities were similar through the contributions they made in terms of spreading their cultural practices and establishing a diverse melting pot within the United States that continues to thrive today. Ireland had experienced a …show more content…

The Irish tended to settle in cities, mainly because they were too poor to move west and buy necessary livestock, land, and equipment to manage their own farms. They swarmed large seaboard cities, notably New York and Boston. The Irish had been crammed in crowded filthy slums, and had to compete for low paying job positions with the African Americans. They had been looked down upon by the native workers, and signs like “No Irish Need Apply” were posted at factories. On the other hand, a large portion of the German immigrants tended to settle in the Middle West, such as Wisconsin. There they settled and established farms because, unlike the Irish, they had brought with them material goods from Germany. Since the Germans were more widely scattered in location than the Irish, the Germans were politically less formidable but still influential. Irishmen began to dominate police departments and introduced the “Paddy Wagons”. The Irish were more compacted due to their large number of inhabitants in major cities. Both nationalities did indeed settle in America, but nonetheless their overall settlement patterns could not be more …show more content…

Irish immigrants were Roman Catholics, and had come to a country dominated by Protestantism. They spoke Celtic languages, and had Gaelic traditions such as their styles of music, fashion, and dance. The German also contributed their culture when arriving to the new country. Things such as the Conestoga wagon, the Kentucky rifle, the Christmas tree, and the word “beer” (bier) were all derived from the Germans that eventually became a significant part of American culture. They strongly supported public schools, and even developed both the word and institution of “Kindergarten”. Their Old World drinking habits and other cultural practices were preserved just like those of the Irish, and began to widely shape American

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