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Brief History Of Irish Music And Socio-Political States

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For a long time in American history, there has been a desire for “Irish” music. What qualifies as “Irish” has been left to interpretation; a concept that will be further explored in this thesis. The first Irish Catholic immigrants in seventeenth century America were, in many cases, indentured servants and treated poorly. The music the Irish brought with them took on romantic associations among the white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) Americans, as well as among the Irish themselves. While my thesis focuses on the music that was popular in vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley roughly between 1880 and 1930, it is necessary to look further back at the history of the music and socio-political state that Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans had faced in first coming to America. The Irish started emigrating to North America …show more content…

“By 1840 the potato had become the sole food of one third of the of the people and an essential element in the diet of many more” (Williams 1996, p. 17). When the blight struck, hundreds of thousands died of starvation between 1845 and 1848. The Irish were in a state of panic and hopelessness. During 1845 and 1851, it is estimated that around 1.6 million people left Ireland for America. As Williams eloquently states, arriving in America, the Irish immigrants had to adjust to their new country and Americans had to adjust to their new fellow citizens. Although coming to “a land of immigrants,” the Irish were in many ways the first “emigrant group.” Arriving in such numbers that Americans were not prepared to receive them. Americans were, however, prepared to recognize the Irish, thanks to a set of stereotypes that were already a part of the Anglo-American culture; a romantic stereotype of the exile in flight from a tragic land of beauty; and a comic stereotype of the wild, irresponsible Paddy (Williams 1996, p.

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In “Gone to America: Anti-Irish Sentiment” The History Place tells of the difficulties and racism that the Irish faced as they immigrated to the United States in search of a living for themselves and their families. To begin, the author illustrates how many Irish were actually coming over from Ireland fleeing persecution and famine; they make up the majority of immigrants in the United States during the mid-1800’s, and, additionally, alludes to the swells of Irish arriving in the cities. Furthermore, the author continues to illustrate how the Irish tended to stay in close knit communities much like they had at home; this was partly due to the poverty of the Irish as well, the author states. The author states the differences between the Irish at home and the Irish

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Many Irish families then came to America for a better future, and to ensure that they will not get sick and die. Not only they came to America for the safety of their families, but also for better jobs and earn money. After the potato famine, many families starved to death or were helpless because

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Unfortunately there was a seasonal food shortage, leaving people with empty stomachs. At this time Ireland was a British Colony, a part of the United Kingdom. The British government refused to believe that the Irish were suffering like they were. The British government left the Irish with only a free trade market.

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This essay will be about the Irish immigration to Canada between the years of 1840 and 1869. I believe the Irish successfully immigrated to Canada because they successfully integrated themselves into Canadian society. There were many challenges and some followed the Irish to Canada. The timing of the group’s migration to Canada

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As tensions arose between the Irish and the English in the British Isle, Irish settlers began to immigrate to America in hopes of a better and more stable life. Many Irish citizens, led by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, were rebelling against British rule in Ireland. In the 19th century, thousands emigrated from Ireland. Between 1800 and 1900, Irish Americans impacted the development of the American West through nationalistic views and ideals, the spread of Catholicism, and by helping to build the transportation that expanded the West. To begin with, Irish Americans impacted the American West through their attitudes of the new country and the views that Americans possessed of them.

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In “The Jazz Singer,” Cantor Rabinowitz wants his son to become a cantor because it has been the family’s generations-old family tradition. Jackie refuses to do so and is persistent in pursing what he likes and dreams of doing – singing Jazz. This is a typical story in the second generation immigrant families in the early 20th century America. Even though this kind of story happens in many different ways, to different ethnicities, genders, the central idea is that the children of the immigrants who were born and raised here are heavily influenced by American culture and less willingly to observe to many of the old traditions their parents brought to this country. When Rabinowitz is told that his thirteen-year-old son is performing jazz tunes,

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Between 1840 and 1860 over 4 million people entered the United States, the majority were from Ireland and Germany (Foner 324). The Irish men and women fled the Great Famine of 1845-1851, when a blight destroyed the potato crop on which the island’s diet rested (Foner 325). About one million people died from starvation or immiragrated to the United States. Irish men lacked industrial skills but they filled low wage and unskilled jobs that no one else wanted. While the Irish women worked as servants in the homes of Americans.

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