Irish-Catholic Immigration to America
Irish-Catholic immigrants came to America during colonial
times, too, and not all Irish-Catholic immigrants were poor.
For example, wealthy Charles Carroll immigrated to America in 1706. His grandson, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signed his name to the Declaration of Independence.
Irelands 1845 Potato Blight is often credited with
launching the second wave of Irish immigration to America.
The fungus which decimated potato crops created a devastating
famine. Starvation plagued Ireland and within five years,
a million Irish were dead while half a million had arrived
in America to start a new life. Living conditions in Ireland
were deplorable long before the Potato Blight of 1845, however,
and a large number of Irish left their homeland as early
as the 1820s.
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