Racial Tensions
During much of the nineteenth century, when large numbers of
Irish and Blacks were present, they were pushed into competition.
There are striking parallels in the culture and history of the
two groups. They began their life in America with low social and
economic status. Over time, they advanced in common fields such
as sports, entertainment, religion, writing and publishing, and
politics. They even had similar social pathologiesalcoholism,
violence and broken homes. Rather than being united by their common
hard life, they were divided by the need to compete. For political
benefit, this pattern was reinforced as Blacks were drawn to the
Republican Party while the Irish strength in numbers was wooed
by the Democratic Party.
Both the Irish and Blacks had reason to feel they were treated
unfairly in the workforce, and often at one another's expense.
In the antebellum South, for instance, where slaveholders viewed
slaves as valuable property, Blacks were prohibited from participating
in hazardous, life-threatening work. Thus, many of the most dangerous
jobs were left to the Irish who did not have such protection (or
limitation). Thousands of Irish lives were lost in the building
of the nation's canal and railroad systems.
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