When many Americans think of their ancestors at long last arriving in New York Harbor and catching their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty they assume that their predecessors then headed straight to Ellis Island to be processed. However, many of their relatives probably didn't go to Ellis Island, but instead were sent to the little-known immigration center called Castle … [Read more...] about The First U.S. Immigrant Gateway
History
20 Moments in History
By Irish America Staff
From witch hunts and huddled masses to the White House– 20 significant moments in the history of the Irish in America. 1688: Witch Hunt Goody Glover, an Irish woman, was hanged as a witch four years before the infamous Salem Trials of 1692 (as illustrated left). Glover, an Irish laundress who came to Salem, Massachusetts via the Caribbean, was arrested, tried for bewitching, … [Read more...] about 20 Moments in History
The Boxer Known as “Irish Jim”
As James J. Braddock was rising out of boxing obscurity, and winning over the hearts of a Depression-ravaged nation, the legendary journalist Damon Runyan famously dubbed Braddock "Cinderella Man," because of the fairy tale nature of Braddock's comeback. That moniker was later used as the title of Jeremy Schaap's brilliant book about Braddock, and Ron Howard's wonderful movie … [Read more...] about The Boxer Known as “Irish Jim”
How the Irish Saved Washington’s Early Civilization
Two hundred years ago, the city of Washington was just over ten years old and, quite frankly, a mess. One visitor reported that it was little more than a boggy marsh dotted by tree-stumps, with rutted tracks linking half-finished buildings and randomly placed dwellings. Thomas Jefferson was the occupant of the one prominent building that looked in any way completed. This was … [Read more...] about How the Irish Saved Washington’s Early Civilization
Mother Antonia
Two years ago, Washington Post journalist Mary Jordan, introduced Mother Antonia to our readers. That same year, she and her husband, a fellow journalist at the Post, won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles they wrote chronicling corruption in the Mexican prison system. Since then, the Irish-American husband-and-wife team have spent countless hours interviewing Mother … [Read more...] about Mother Antonia