The worst natural plight of human suffering up to that time was the great Irish potato famine. Immigration to the United States by the Irish saw a dramatic increase, but not all were given a warm welcome.
As reported by The World, a New York paper, on September 12, 1897, what had happened 50 years ago in Ireland? The population of Ireland dropped almost in half, from 8,175,124 to 4,706,102 in those 50 years since the famine.
In August of 1997 The Post Standard retold the story again 150 years after the potato famine that caused wide spread immigration of the Irish to the rest of the world. 1.5 Million left their homeland not for a better life but for life itself. Tens of thousands to a million of Irish were dead or dying and it was either starve or leave.
Most of the famine immigrants went to the United States, Canada and Australia where they were met a hostile reception. There were just too many in such a short period of time and most did not have much money if any.
Another causality of the famine was the families and traceable ancestry. So many died so fast and the survivors scattered so quickly that most relatives lost track of each other.
To this day there are those that fear prejudice. About 5 years ago I saw an elderly man on the side of the road. He had a flat tire and the temperature was over 100F. I stopped and changed the tire for him. He would only tell me his first name until I was done. When I had finished I asked him why he was so secretive. He then told me his last name and that he was Irish.
He explained he was scared I would just leave him if I knew he was Irish, he was so used to the prejudice. I explained I was also of some Irish ancestors and I had no ill feelings towards him, but I could tell he had been scared by the past. I think it is sad that the 1847 potato famine immigration to America still has negative effects over 150 years later.
If you are searching for your Irish ancestors or any possible mention of them in the old newspaper articles of the day, the best newspapers to search are the Boston and New York papers. Many new arrivals would advertise for lost relatives as all they knew was that their kin had come before them and they had no idea where they were now.
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