The largest group ever to immigrate to the United States was the Irish. Today, there are over forty three million people that are of Irish decent within the confines of the United States. There were three distinct waves that brought Irish to America. The first was the early medieval Christian church. The second was the fight of the Roman Catholic nobility. The third and final was the great potato famine, which was the greatest mass emigration ever.

The first and second waves of immigration were mostly caused by conditions after 1717 that began to grow uneasy. The British encouraged the people of Northern Ireland (Ulster) who were called Scotch-Irish to create a Presbyterian presence in a Catholic Ireland. Irish could not live with religious freedom. They were often challenged by the British reign that would not allow them to practice as Catholics. They could not believe that anyone could take away their freedom of religion. They had gotten word that in the New World that you could freely practice any religion you would like. Add periodic crop failures that hurt the Irish whose major form of employment was mostly farming and it was also their only source

It is not well known that many of our own U.S. presidents were Irish. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, or JFK, was elected in 1960 as the 35th president. Kennedy was not only the first Irish president but was also the first Roman Catholic president. Ronald Reagan was another Irish President. He was elected as the 40th president in 1980.

The largest mass emigration was the Irish coming to America. By the early 1900’s the Irish had achieved remarkable economic success, reaching approximately the same occupational levels as other Americans. By 1900 the overwhelming majority of Irish Americans had been born in the United States, and their accomplishments generally far surpassed those of their immigrant parents. Immigrants were crucial for the economic development of America. Jobs that no one wanted to do were done by the Irish and after conditions got better Irish moved up the economic chain to the level they are at today. Also, after the American Revolution, Irish were granted freedom of religion and were allowed to freely practice and teach their beliefs to their children.

Another well-known person not known to be Irish is Daniel Boone. More than any other man, Daniel Boone was responsible for the exploration and settlement of Kentucky. In 1759, when Daniel was fifteen, his family moved to North Carolina. At nineteen he left his family to join the French and Indian War. In 1767 Boone traveled into the edge of Kentucky and camped for the winter at Salt Spring near Prestonsburg. In 1769 Boone and four other men started out on their expedition that would change the world. He took a chance and explored uncharted lands providing a basis for others to follow.

After settling in to their new homes they did anything for food or money. Many Americans were pushed out of jobs by large groups of Irish immigrants in need of work. Americans resented the Irish and resented they ever came. The Irish faced many forms of discrimination. One form used to hinder their entry were strict medical exams, which if they did not pass they would be sent back to Ireland. They would return home, receive medical attention and try the difficult

Some topics in this essay:
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