Irish Immigrants In The Late 19th Century

It was the winter of 1851, when mass number of Irish immigrants arrived in New York hoping for a brighter future, aboard the British ship Montezuma. It had been months since leaving their homeland, the immigrants were sick and hungry. The conditions on ships like Montezuma were referred to as "coffin ships" because conditions of these ships were filthy and densely populated. There was barely any sort of circulation. It is said on average, 15 percent of the immigrants died at sea before arriving to the Land of Opportunity.

It was not long after the Irish had arrived to America when their hard work and dedication began to pay off. Immigrants worked numerous hours around the clock by working dangerous and low paying jobs and living under terrible circumstances Within 20 years, the Irish immigrants transformed themselves and shaped American history.

Immigrants played a vital role in the creation of one of the first political party machines through corrupt voting. These political party machines gradually took power in big cities, which include cities like New York, Boston and Chicago.
Between the years of 1868 and 1875, about 500,000 people lived in poor and filthy apartments. Poverty, disease, violence, and drug addiction were everywhere. Most young Irish kids worked to support their families. Many discriminated against the Irish, some posting signs that read: "No Irish Need Apply." Irish children worked many jobs from sweeping streets to selling newspapers, matches, and apples. As the teenage son of Irish immigrants, George Washington Plunkitt realized that there were two quick roads out of poverty: prizefighting or politics. He swiftly chose politics. "You can't begin too early in politics if you want to succeed at the game," Plunkitt said. When Plunkitt was only 12 years old, he worked around the district headquarters and polling stations during Election