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Immigration Irish
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Colonial Immigration

In colonial times, the Irish population in America was second in number only to the English. Many early Irish immigrants were of sturdy, Scotch-Irish stock. Pushed out of Ireland by religious conflicts, lack of political autonomy and dire economic conditions, these immigrants were pulled to America by the promise of land ownership and greater religious freedom.

Most Scotch-Irish immigrants were educated, skilled workers. Even those who financed their emigration by becoming indentured servants were well equipped to lead successful, independent lives when their period of servitude ended. They were readily assimilated into the life of the new nation.

The Scotch-Irish settled in the middle colonies, especially in Pennsylvania where the city of Philadelphia was a major port of debarkation. Over subsequent decades, the Scotch-Irish migrated south following the Great Philadelphia Road, the main route used for settling the interior southern colonies. Traveling down Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, then south into the North Carolina Piedmont region, they reached South Carolina by the 1760s. Settlers here often became frontiersmen and Indian fighters.

Presidents Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan traced their roots to these early Americans.

Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson

Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan


Colonial Immigration | Irish-Catholic Immigration to America | Adaptation and Assimilation | Joining the Workforce | Religious Conflict and Discrimination | Racial Tensions | Irish Identity, Influence and Opportunity | Irish Contributions to the American Culture | Vocabulary
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  last updated 04/06/02 view basic version
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1790 The federal government requires two years of residency for naturalization
1952 Immigration and Nationality Act: individuals of all races eligible for naturalization; reaffirms national origins quota system, limits immigration from Eastern Hemisphere; establishes preferences for skilled workers and relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens; and tightens security and screening standards and procedures
 
1953 Congress amends 1948 refugee policy to allow for the admission of 200,000 more refugees
 
1863 Conscription Act requires all white men 20-45 years of age eligible for the Union draft. Over one hundred people die during New York City draft riot.
1864   Congress legalizes the importation of contract laborers
1980   The Refugee Act redefines criteria and procedures for admitting refugees.
1929 Congress makes annual immigration quotas permanent.
1986   Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) legalizes illegal aliens residing in the US unlawfully since 1982.
1845 Potato crop fails in Ireland sparking the Potato Famine that kills one million and prompts almost 500,000 to immigrate to America in the next five years.
1819 Congress establishes reporting on immigration
1885 Congress bans the admission of contract laborers
1948 The United States admits persons fleeing persecution in their native lands; allowing 205,000 refugees to enter within two years