h.(6) Settling in the urban areas caused great crowding of the cities. The native inhabitants quickly chose to move out of the neighborhoods newly settled by Irish immigrants.(7) Their movement was influenced by the poverty of the newcomers; they did not want to live amongst the immigrants squalor. However, the Irish took this unwelcoming behavior in stride,they, . . . had a sense of identity and cohesion as a people oppressed by foreigners in their native land,(8) which helped them to stay together during the rough transition to American life. Irish-Catholics lived in the slums,often cramming 4 families into a 1 family apartment. Although the basement, attic and tar paper urban dwellings were bleak and depressing, at least American cities provided the company of their own misery-sharing people.(9) Irish-Catholics depended greatly on their community and so it was a great relief to have support groups in their new home, even if the quality of life was extremely low. The streets were full of garbage and raw sewage flowed through open trenches. Disease was rampant, as were rats and mice. Concentrated almost exclusively in Irish neighborhoods, cholera swept through Boston, along with tuberculosis and typhoid.(10) Life expectancy was 40, but many did not even live to be that old.(11) Irish neighborhoods, such as, Hells Kitchen, San Jaun Hill, and the Bloody Ould Sixth, were tough, with fighting and drunkenness extremely common.(12) Along with the filth, disease and violence, Irish-Catholics endured a large amount of religious intolerance, one of the very things from which they were trying to escape. Anglo-protestant Americans posed a problem for the Irish-Catholic. Orange Day- the celebration of the victory of William of Orange over the Catholics in Ireland - was a source of annual conflict. . .(13) Strife broke out between the two groups throughout the year as well, making the Irish-Catholics continually aware of being unwanted. ...
