equate aid from the English. The Irish were said to have no morals and careless breeding practices. The Irish came under great scrutiny by prominent members of the church and authors. Many newspapers of the time used God and religion to explain the starvation. They said the Irish peasants were essentially being punished for not participating in religion and having a tendency toward crime. The British viewed the Irish as an inferior race and subhuman. This made it easier for them to “excuse one’s humanitarian obligations,” and essentially exterminate them. Many Irishmen were led to believe that they were responsible for the situation in which they were being placed. If the Irish were to blame for their own poverty, starvation, and death; the English, who were really to blame, could go on living without guilt or regret.IV.The starvation influenced the history of the United StatesDuring the years of starvation, many Irish fled their homeland and came to the United States. In 1851, two hundred fifty thousand Irishmen boarded ships headed for America. One main draw for immigration into the United States was that many Irish had relatives already living in the U.S. Fares were inexpensive, it that was known as the land of opportunity, and it was free from British law, making it Evan more attractive.After the Civil War came the industrialization of the United States. Much of the workingmen who built the foundation for industrialization were African Americans, Asian Americans, and as well as Irish Americans. The Irish immigrants built many of the canals, sewers, water systems, railroads, and roads that were essential to the urbanization and industrialization of the U.S. “One author said that the United States ran on steam power, water power, and Irish power.”The Irish have also been credited with improving the growth, function, and power of urban machine politics. With their knowledge of the Anglo governme...
