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This source shows how Irish men had to be diggers. It also shows how poor conditions they were in which is one reason why they were diggers. The push factor for this image is that the Irish bearded diggers were struggling in poor conditions of work so therefore it pushed them to go to America where they could get a better job and also be payed accordingly because the economic conditions would not be so bad. The pull factor is also the better environment they would have in America which would help with their living conditions and life wouldn't be so hard because he wouldn't have to be diggers.

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Bearded Irish clam diggers and a matronly companion on a wharf in Boston

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DocsTeach is a product of the National Archives education division. Our mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives. The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper.

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This source shows how much of a difference it has made to come to America. It shows how Annie Moore life got so much better after coming to America and being able to live in good conditions. The push factor of this newspaper article is that Annie Moore wanted to go to America in seek of a better life so therefore she went to America on a Voyage with many other immigrant. She was the first one to land of Ellis Island and step foot onto America. From that she became the symbol for those who were also gonna come to America. The pull factor for this would be the better life she would be able to live in America economically and religiously. The biggest pull factor is that her family was already in America and she had been away from them for four years now and she was finally able reunite with them .

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annie moore was celebrated and welcomed as the first to step foot on ellis island

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Irish immigrant, Annie Moore was celebrated and welcomed as the first to step foot on Ellis Island - Newspapers.com

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Clipping found in The Sun in New York, New York on Jan 2, 1892. Irish immigrant, Annie Moore was celebrated and welcomed as the first to step foot on Ellis Island

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"Bridget Donoghue", Written by James Patterson in 1875

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"Bridget Donoghue", Written by James Patterson in 1875

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The pull factors in play for this source was the general freedom that America gave to Irish Immigrants during the potato famine. "James Patterson uses the words, "Our eagle's wings are large enough to shelter me and you". These words show how America provides a good shelter for people, not only by the amount of homes that are available due to Industrialization but also the amount of job opportunities in meat-packing and steel factories that America provides for these Irish immigrants. The freedom that America gave to immigrants also gave an abundant amount of land where immigrants could continue their lives and pursue the "american dream".

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Irish Immigrants arriving in the United States in 1902

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Irish Immigrants arriving in the United States in 1902

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This picture shows an Irish family that moved to America due to the potato famine. The push factors in play for this source was the potato famine that was occurring in Ireland. Even though the potato famine occurred in the 1850's, the effects of the famine continued to spur Irish emigration until the early 20th century. Potatoes were the main source of food in Ireland, and when the famine occurred, many people found it hard to survive due to starvation and various diseases like the Fever and Flu. Another push factor in play for this source was the extreme amount of poverty and disease that had spread throughout Ireland. These immigrants realized that if they would have stayed in Ireland, they most likely would have died from starvation or other medical issues.

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Irish depositors withdraw money to send to their suffering relatives back in the old country.

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Irish depositors withdraw money to send to their suffering relatives back in the old country.

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This source shows Irish Immigrants at the bank withdrawing money for their relatives to help them out. The Irish Immigrants in this picture have successfully made it to the US without any complications and by withdrawing they money they have they will send it to their relatives in their old country who are still suffering and are in poor economic conditions. The push factors about this photograph are that the Irish immigrants who already made it to the new country wanted their relatives to also be able to come to the US so it pushed them to send money back home to the old country so they don't suffer in the poor economic situations in Ireland. The pull factor of this photograph is that the Irish went to the US so that they could be in better economic conditions which could allow them to help out family back home who are still in the poor conditions.

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Title
New York City, - Irish depositors of the Emigrant Savings Bank withdrawing money to send to their suffering relatives in the old country
Names

Leslie, Frank, 1821-1880 (Publisher)

Collection

Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, Dec. 1855-Nov. 1891

Dates / Origin

Library locations

General Research Division

Shelf locator: *DA+ (Leslies)

Topics

Irish-Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- 1800-1899

Genres

Illustrations

Type of Resource

Still image

Languages

Identifiers

NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b16468401

Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): bee2f440-c6db-012f-6767-58d385a7bc34

Rights Statement

The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Item timeline of events

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New York City, - Irish depositors of the Emigrant Savings Bank withdrawing money to send to their suffering relatives in the old country

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TitleNew York City, - Irish depositors of the Emigrant Savings Bank withdrawing money to send to their suffering relatives in the old country Names Leslie, Frank, 1821-1880 (Publisher) Collection Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, Dec. 1855-Nov.

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Letter from Cathy Greene. Brooklyn, New York. To her mother in Ballylarkin, County Kilkenny in 1884

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Letter from Cathy Greene. Brooklyn, New York. To her mother in Ballylarkin, County Kilkenny in 1884

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In this letter, Cathy Greene is urging her mother to move to New York City to work in the factories with her. This process is called chain migration when a family member or other members of the same ethnic group migrate to the same location over a long period of time. The pull factors in play for this source were the abundant amount of job opportunities available in New York City, making the Irish want to leave Ireland for a chance at a more successful economic life in America. These jobs became available during the Industrial Revolution and allowed the Irish to be successful in steel and meat-packing factories.

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Almost all who left Ireland during the 19th Century never saw their homeland again. Letters home are the only way we can experience what they went through.

Kerby Miller featured many such letters in his groundbreaking "Emigrants and Exiles." Here are a few of them:
Cathy Greene. Brooklyn, New York. To her mother in Ballylarkin, County Kilkenny. August 1st, 1884 My dear Mamma, What on earth is the matter with ye all, that none of you would think of writing to me? The fact is I am heart-sick, fretting. I cannot sleep the night and if I chance to sleep I wake with the most frightful dreams. To think it's now going and gone into the third month since ye wrote me. I feel as if I'm dead to the world. I've left the place I was employed. They failed in business. I was out of place all summer and the devil knows how long. This is a world of troubles. I would battle with the world and would never feel dissatisfied if I would hear often from ye. And know candidly things are going on but what to think of how ye are forgetting me. I know if I don't hear from ye prior to the arrival of this letter at Ballylarkin I will be almost dead... I sometimes think you would come here and that health would fail and like almost all the Irish, drop off one by one. There is no place like home if one could at all live there but if not don't hesitate about coming here. I trust ye are well and that my frightful dreams won't be realized. Mary McLean Walsh. Describing the emigration of her family from County Leitrim to Canada in the summer of 1832. Written or dictated to her daughter, Sarah Kirwan in Ottawa. On the tenth of May, 1832, my parents with their eight children sailed from Ireland to America; and, although the other passengers fared very well, and notwithstanding I was a perfectly healthy Irish girl of sixteen, during the whole voyage of one month, I was ill....We were much relieved to be landed in Quebec but imagine our feelings at finding ourselves in a plague-stricken city; where men, women and children, smitten by cholera, dropped in the streets to die in agony, where business was paralyzed, and naught prevailed but sorrow mingled with dread and gloom. ...people passed us, each holding, between their teeth, a piece of a stick, or cane about the length of a hand, and as thick as the stem of a clay tobacco pipe, on the end of which was stuck a piece of smoking tar. We learned this was used as a preventative. My father, seeing my weakness, engaged rooms nearby... the following morning I was advised to dress, and walk slowly on the wharf, which I did; and was passing a heap of coal there when, suddenly, blinded and speechless, but conscious, I fell against it. The captain of our ship who was standing near talking to another gentleman, ran forward and raising my head told his friend to bring from the ship, as quickly as possible, a tumblerful of brandy with a teaspoon of red pepper stirred through it... I was now in a veritable house of torture, where the most appalling shrieks, groans, prayers and curses filled the air continually.
As if in answer to this, day and night, from the sheds outside came the tap, tap, tap of the workmens ' hammers, as they drove the nails into the rough coffins, which could not be put together hastily enough for the many whose shrieks subsided into moans which gradually died away into silence not to be broken.
Whose poor bodies were then carried to the dead-house in the hospital yard, confined, piled on the dead cart and hurried off to what was called the cholera burying ground; where, so great was the mortality at the time, corpses were buried five and six deep with layers of lime between, in one grave. All the medical men's efforts to save were futile, until I fell into their hands. And as I slowly, but surely, recovered such interest was centered on my case that four doctors, at a time would stand bending over me, noting anxiously, each symptom of returning health. In spite of their watchfulness, however, I twice managed to disobey orders. On a long table in the ward in crocks each with a little dipper beside it stood the drinks allowed us - brandy and water, lemon juice and water without sugar and very thin gruel without salt, but none of these satisfied me, for my bed was near the window, through which could be seen a well and this set me dreaming often with tear-filled eyes of mother's well far away, over whose low brim some big old country roses drooped, seeming to impart their fragrance to the limpid deliciousness beneath. And I craved incessantly for one drink of clear cold water.
So, one day when my mother who regardless of all danger to herself, had braved the horrors of the hospital, to help nurse her four children - three sick of cholera, and one of small-pox, which also was raging in 1832 - had gone away for a much needed rest, I coaxed the nurse to gratify my longing...

Finally my pleadings touched her so that she brought me a small cup of water, which I drank greedily. It had no bad effect whatever and the doctors in spite of all their watchfulness detected nothing unusual.
A little later, enlisting the sympathies of the nurse, who had helped in my former venture in what I persuaded her was a good cause she bound me to secrecy and smuggled in a cupful of warm broth, which I swallowed and in a few hours was once more on the verge of the grave. As mine was the case on which the doctors' hopes hung, this relapse caused them much distress: the head physician declaring, angrily that some one had tampered with me; but ill as I was all efforts to make me divulge were useless: and the nurse a big, jolly Irishwoman, declared when we were alone that I was a 'little brick' and that she was proud of her countrywomen. My disobedience very nearly cost me my life, but a good constitution triumphed and six weeks from the time of entering the hospital I was sent to the recovery sheds adjoining where sad to say, some, who were cured of cholera contracted small-pox and returned to the hospital and died. While in the recovery sheds we were allowed daily, the juice of six lemons and a handful of peppermints. My father brought me a fresh supply of both each morning and at the end of a week was told he might take me away. As I walked for the last time in the hospital yard, I saw, burning there, cholera-tainted rich velvet and silk gowns, costly bonnets and shawls, children's clothing the rags of the poor, gorgeous uniforms, boots with spurs attached and all else which formed a pile almost as high as an ordinary house.
As I watched the flames creep upward, I realized that, before me was indeed a shocking proof of the ravages of the plague. And breathing a prayer for the souls of the dead, who had once worn those garments, I took my father's arm and set out, all sadness giving way to the joyful anticipation of a family reunion, not knowing that my own sisters' and brothers' clothes were in that burning pile I had left behind, until I met my Mother, dressed in deep mourning, her pretty face sad and care-worn when she told me I was the only one of her four sick children who had survived.
Read more: Amazing discovery about woman in this iconic image from Great Hunger Robert Smith in Philadelphia to his parents in Moycraig, County Antrim. August 14, 1844. ..I now hold a respectable situation in this city as a custom house officer....I have the honor of being appointed through my own merit. We have in the Custom House 200 officers and there are only three Irishmen in that office and I am one of those. I owe to that the stand that I have taken the political field. I am a Democrat out and out and take the platform for the cause against monarchy and aristocracy. I am for free Republican government. ...our city has been nothing but the scene of bloodshed. The origin of this awful scene was respecting a party of native American citizens forming themselves into a body to deprive all foreigners of their rights and privileges guaranteed to them by the constitution. And they pitched their spite upon the Irish Roman Catholics and at one of their meetings the Irish rose against them and there was a great number shot on both sides. There were a great many Roman Catholic churches and nunneries burned in the city and as many as fifty killed in one riot. There were 20 cannons discharged in one night by the military. The following is a letter from Ireland. Michael and Mary Rush from Ardnaglass, County Sligo write to their father, Thomas Barrett, in Carillon, Ontario. September 6th, 1846. Dear Father and Mother,
Pen cannot dictate the poverty of this country at present, the potato crop is quite done away all over Ireland and we are told prevailing all over Europe. There is nothing expected here, only an immediate famine...
If you knew what danger we and our fellow countrymen are suffering, if you were ever so much distressed, you would take us out of this poverty Isle. We can only say the curse of God fell down on Ireland in taking away the potatoes, they being the only support of the people. Not like countries that have a supply of wheat and other grain. So, dear father and mother, if you don't endeavor to take us out of it, it will be the first news you will hear by some friend of me and my little family to be lost by hunger, and there are thousands dread they will share the same fate... So I conclude with my blessings to you both and remain your affectionate son and daughter. Michael and Mary Rush P.S. For God's sake take us out of poverty and don't let us die with the hunger. Read more: Following in the steps of hope and hunger along the National Famine Walk Thomas Reilly, Albany, New York, to John M. Kelly, Dublin. April 24th, 1848
I am going to renew our correspondence and ungenerous should I be if I failed, in doing so, to express the deep regret I feel at being separated from you. Perhaps, this is the only way in which I shall ever again converse with you, perhaps it is, alas. This moment how my heart sinks, and tears start into my eyes.
I am a slave in the land of liberty.... Nothing save death could lull the storm which is raging in my mind. When I took out your prayer book in the chapel today, I thought my heart would break, not because it is weak, but, friendless, deserted and lonely....
We expect to muster 50,000 men in a short time, God send them soon. If that force were shown on the southern coast of Ireland, we would quickly march to the city of Dublin and set it ablaze.

25th day. I ceased writing on Sunday evening to learn the light exercise and the several military squares. The mod by which we will be sent to Ireland is to go to France first. This is a project which I think will be hardly carried out, tho there are plenty of volunteers proposing themselves.
Since I began this letter there were one hundred houses burned in this city. I will now give way to some of my adventures. I left Dublin on the 19th Feb. I arrived in Liverpool on the 20th, took out my passage tickets the same day, did not sail for America until 1st March....
Well I set sail and our ship, the 'Patrick Henry,' was resolved to bring us to the South Sea Islands instead of to New York. We had the two first days very fair and rounded the Irish coast like a sea gull, the wind followed in our wake for three days on the Atlantic.

How will I describe a gale on the Atlantic as follows.... At five o'clock p.m. all hands were tuned up close reef sail, not a stitch of canvass to be seen spread, six o'clock wind right ahead, the vessel lying to a rolling from side to side like a heavy log as she was, the passengers quaking with fear.

Ten o'clock, the scene below no light, the hatches nailed down, some praying, some crying some cursing and singing, the wife jawing the husband for bringing her into such danger, everything topsy turvy, - bar- rels, boxes, cans, berths, children rolling about with the swaying vessel, now and again might be heard the groan of a dying creature, and continually the deep moaning of the tempest.

The scene above, bare poles, thunder and lightning, the ship almost capsized, lying on her beam, sheets of water drenching her decks, the sea swelling far above her masts, engulfing her around, and huge billows striking her bows and sides with the force and noise of a thousand sledge hammers upon so many anvils.
The ship receding with every wave, sometimes standing perpendicularly on her stern and shaking like a palsied man and then plunging decks and masts under water and raising to renew the same process. She would screech with every stroke of the waves, every bolt in her quaked, every timber writhed, the smallest nail had a cry of its own. We had 15 storms one greater than another. 26th day. Dear John,
I forgot to tell you, my ship was foundered on a sandbank within two days sail of New York. She ploughed thro six feet of sand. The vessels going to New York generally cross the banks of Newfoundland which are northerly but I kept southerly and therefore passed thro the stream of the Gulf of Florida.

She burned down to her coppers and resembled a pillar of fire all night. Was not that a poor sight on the wide sea. It shocks me even now. Several other affairs happened but how can I relate them here, with a heart bowed down by weight of care. After a voyage of five weeks we landed in New York....

I would advise no one I have regard for to emigrate unless the persons interested to come have friends before them, who will receive them and snatch them from all the evils of Society. You would hardly believe were I to tell you, all the trials, cheats plots and chicanery of every kind which I had to overcome.
I wrote to my mother. If she bids me to go home I will go. If not I will wander along the pleasant valleys of the Mississippi, pay a visit to New Orleans, the battlefield of General Jackson, and if I live, return to the land of my birth next spring. Write and answer quickly - tell me the whole status of affairs and one request I ask of you is to show this letter to my mother.... I have no intention to stop in Albany. The Irish volunteers expect to go to Canada to raise the standard of revolution. If they do I will go along with them... I now send my devoted aspirations to Mrs. Kelly. My running away without seeing her, whom I prized more than tongue could tell, has caused me many a gloomy hour since we partied. She forgives me. I was not aware my departure would be so sudden.
At all events I did not wish to see her on the night of the 19th as my nerves were braced and tho' the tumult within was intense had I gone to her house my iron heart would melt. It was enough for me to see you on the beach, all lonely...
I am going to the mountains, my native element, this afternoon. Send me the United Irishman, or the Nation. So farewell, the dearest companion of my last years. I sigh to close our long divided conversation. I shall think of you in my hours of melancholy. Thomas O'Reilly Peter Connolly in Fort Smith, Arkansas to his father Thomas Connolly in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. May 11th, 1848 My Dear Parents and Brothers, ...I got such a shock by the news contained in your letters that it weighs heavy on my mind 'till this minute.
My most sanguine hopes of making a little money and assisting my distressed parents and brothers being thus cruelly frustrated I got on a steam boat as soon as I could with my family and left the place where I experienced so much mortification.
I saved as much of the wood as paid for my passage up the river to Fort Smith and I am now living in an Irishman's house. He has no family and is well off as to living. He makes us welcome to make it our home 'till we make a home for ourselves which I hope in God will be in the latter end of next fall. I can get 3 shillings a day British currency for my labor, without diet and everything I need to live on is so cheap that it costs but very little to support a man and his family here. Indian corn 1 shilling per bushel; bacon two and a half pence per pound; flour one penny per pound; Irish potatoes one shilling per bushel; a good cow and her calf for 20 shillings to eight shillings; I might say pigs for nothing. Recollect that this is the price in this town - a town very little less than Carrickmacross in size... I address myself to my friends. I would say to them come here one and all and don't hesitate one moment about coming, but how mortifying is the idea that my friends must be debarred from the privileges of such a country as this merely for the want of funds. 50 shillings a head being the fare to New Orleans. Is it, or can it be possible, that the times are so bad that this sum cannot be realized by any person that wanted to come to America? But I believe that there are a great many people in Ireland so trifling as not to come here even if they could.

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Inspiring emigrant letters home to Ireland from America in the Famine era | IrishCentral.com

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Sense of loss of family acute in the letters of Irish emigrants, but there was hope too in the New World.

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They were being oppressed by their own government. They also had too many people in Ireland. The Irish economy couldn't support everyone so it was safer to move to America. They thought that since industrialization was happening they would be able to live the American dream.

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The letters talk of how even though life is tough in America it's still better than Ireland. It was better than Ireland because of the potato famine. They have more job opportunities in America, but they aren't as high quality. Once they got there they had already used all their money so they had to work if they wanted any chance to go back if possible which it most likely wasn't.