Anti-Irish Immigration | Educating with Evidence | SIU

Anti-Irish Immigration Introduction

During the 1850s, Brooklyn, New York, experienced a series of riots that left many people severely injured and the police courts extremely busy, making it difficult for authorities to keep track of what actually happened and who was responsible for creating the chaos. The riots created even greater bitterness and animosity between Irish immigrants and American citizens. The animosity continued to grow, as demonstrated in these documents from the Digital Inquiry Group’s original lesson.

Your Task: Use the rhetoric vocabulary adapted from Patricia Roberts-Miller’s book to analyze the documents below and argue which 2-3 strategies (e.g., societal barriers, labeling) were used specifically to dehumanize Irish immigrants in an attempt to reduce their ability to settle in the United States. Use the graphic organizer to help you document your evidence from the sources.