Many Irish found the need to come to America in the late 19th century. Some were trying to escape English rule while others hoped to better their lives in America. Mary O’Flannagan came to New York City from Ireland in 1870 at the age of twenty. She came to America in hopes of economic survival. A friend’s letter inspired Mary to take the journey. The letter spoke of how women in America could marry for love and not money. The letter also said that if a woman were to save half of her earnings for ten years, she herself could be rich. When Mary first stepped off the boat she was a frail young women. She spoke mostly Gaelic and had hoped to find work.

Many people were not as fortunate as Mary, Jeremiah, and Joe. Times were very tough for everyone regardless of race or citizenship. These are just a few accounts of life on the better side. To tell life on the worse side would take forever. People worked in very dangerous jobs where they lost body parts or became very ill. Some got paid so little that it was almost impossible to survive. Others with semi decent jobs were replaced for people who would work for lower wages. Luckily for these three they made it.

After a few months, Mary got the hang of what she was doing as was paid about $9 a week plus food and shelter. She loved her host family’s children as if they were her own. Knowing that Mary would never return home to Ireland she thought she must learn how to become an American woman and she felt that living in the home of one was the best way to learn. The children were very found of Mary but the Mr. And Mrs. Were a different story. They gave Mary what she needed but were not very friendly toward her. They made sure she knew that she was an outsider to the family. She was made to wear and apron and a cap a sign of inferiority. Although not treated as she wished to be, Mary was glad she had a home and a fairly easy life compared to some girls she knew that were working in a factory.

On the plantations in the south, many African Americans told stories about traveling north. Many did not tell their employers that they were leaving. Every African American who could afford a train ticket bought one. Those who could not would tell their employers that they stayed behind because they were faithful while secretly hoping to get a little extra money so they too could have a better life up north. Jeremiah Taylor was one of these men. Being only twenty years old and working on a plantation in Georgia for very small wages did not please him. Some of the other men who worked with him told stories at the campfire at night of men who made forty cents an hour. Jeremiah could not believe what he was hearing. He knew he had to go up north and find a better job. He swore to himself that he would save every penny until he had enough to travel north. He only made about $1.40

Some topics in this essay:
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