A "Rosy-Cheeked Irish Girl" Makes History

Though Irish immigration peaked during the mid-19th century, thousands of Irish immigrants still flooded the shores of the East Coast. The end of the 19th century saw a drastic change and reform in the ways of immigration. That change was the establishment of the first Federal immigration depot located at the port of Ellis Island in New York Harbor (1). Rather than individual states regulating immigration into the United States, there was now an official port for immigrants to be processed by officials.

Ellis Island circa 1892

Not Your Average Bridget: An Introduction

Next to apple pie and baseball, what is more American than immigration to the United States? America was founded on the courageousness of individuals who left their home countries in order to make this land their own. The presence of different cultures and peoples is what makes the United States of America the diverse and welcoming country that it is. The lure of the "American Dream", accompanied with other driving forces, caused groups of people from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world to flood the shores of the United States in hopes of making something more for themselves and for their families during the 19th century. Though every group faced hardships in coming to and assimilating in America, arguably no other group faced as much adversity to be overcome than the Irish. History tells us the stories of Irish men; stories of those who met adversity and discrimination in the hopes of finding opportunity. Many failed to overcome their hardships, while many others achieved the goal of the "American Dream". The fate of Irish men in America has not been ignored by history; but what of the women who accompanied these men or came to America on their own accord?