Today, Irish-Americans are found at
all levels in American society. But in the 1850s most Irish immigrants
were among the poorest of Americans.
The history of those at the bottom of American society
is rarely told. And when history books discuss the poor, they often
reflect the views of those at the top of society. But to understand
how America has grown and changed, we need to see history from all points
of view.
The story of immigrant Irish working people can be told through letters
they left behind, careful use of newspaper reports, and official data
such as the census. The Mulvahilis are a fictional family based on such
information; Reverend Pease is a real historical figure. Put side-by-side,
their stories help us envision the new world emerging in America in
the 1850s, when the industrial revolution had just begun and the great
cities of the East were growing in size. Through the story of the Five
Points, we can see how immigrant working people helped shape a new urban
America. |
