LI, Blog 1 : why is a knowledge of the irish fight for civil rights important in a study of American history?

BLog dialogue

Prior to the trip Level I participants will read the entire text, and read both websites. While doing so they should focus on the role of the Irish in shaping American History, with a specific focus on their fight for Civil Rights both in America and abroad.They will write, and post four response essays related to the chapters referenced within each blog (Blog 1, The Irish Story: Blog 2, Similarities & Differences, Blog 3, Friends & Enemies: ; Blog 4, Past & Present. Participant essays should reflect their beliefs insights, ideas, teaching strategies etc. related to the ideas presented by Egan's novel as well as the internet articles linked below In addition participants will respond to a minimum of five of their peer's posts within the blog.

Civil Rights Reading Assignments

LI, Blog 1 : why is a knowledge of the irish fight for civil rights important in a study of American history?

1/31/2017

37 Comments

Blog 1: The irish story

Please review the instructions on the right, when finished write a reflective essay related to the text that presents your ideas, insights, beliefs, and teaching strategies related to the text. The template on the right is provided to assist you in writing your essay; however, bloggers are not required to use the template.

37 Comments

Julie Smith link

4/3/2017 08:42:50 am

A recognition that groups other than African Americans, such as the Irish, have also fought for Civil Rights within America is important to recognize, because without this knowledge, a study of history is inaccurate, students of history can become gullible to “alternative facts,” and, without knowing the whole truth, students can take themselves out of the equation because they don’t feel that history’s story is their story.
Based on the additional reading materials, “Were the Irish Slaves in America, Too?” from Snopes, and “Setting the Record Straight: IRISH: THE FORGOTTEN SLAVES,” from Ronald Dwyer, it can be seen that confusion exists. The Dwyer piece asserts that Irish were treated much as African Americans brought as slaves to North America were, while Snopes, a well-known fact checking site, debunks the myth. The biggest concern is that students of history, whether in a traditional school setting or just part of the general populace, will read the Dwyer piece without questioning its authenticity. There is a tendency, especially among the very oldest and the very youngest users of the internet, to believe whatever pops up on their screen as truth – because it looks reputable. After all, the Dwyer article had pictures – so it must be true, right? The recent presidential election is one example of widely available untruths, proliferated through social media, that affected voting for many. Just before the election a claim that Hillary Clinton was involved in a child slavery ring, run out of a pizza joint in Washington D.C., was shared, and I recall in the days following, people using this as a reason why they did not vote for her. The fact is, it wasn’t true. Why does this matter? Regardless of your personal political feelings, the knowledge that lies are being used to influence an election, and thus eventually governmental policy, is a travesty of ethics. If we can’t know truth, how can we ever make a truly informed decision? If our decisions are not informed, we lose our power as an individual, and eventually as a society. Without actual truth, we are weak and we can, and may, fall.
Awhile later, one of my students brought in a piece of potentially false news for a current event (he never actually turned it in, so I couldn’t check his source, he just referenced it in class) and I realized that there were many false news stories going around, and that my students did not have the skills to know what was real and what was not. Thus, I decided a training lesson was in order. I found a great lesson on pbs.org, that I utilized parts from: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons_plans/lesson-plan-how-to-teach-your-students-about-fake-news/ The lesson was very relevant, and very well received by students, who truly seemed grateful to have tools to help them discern truth. They felt empowered. We also discussed why truth matters, which was also enlightening to some, as they had never thought about it before, at least not in regards to national policy and national historical record keeping. Some students vowed to go home and teach their parents, especially those who were much older users of the internet, these tips for ascertaining truth.
A very important reason for teaching Irish Civil Rights as part of American History is the connection that students, especially those who are not of color, can feel because they realize that the story of a person who fought for civil rights is potentially their story, not just someone else’s. When people feel connected to history, through discovering their own specific family history, or recognize that it is possible for their ancestors to have been involved in certain historical events, it becomes internalized and more “real” to them. Because of this, as one of the first assignments of the year, I ask students to discover their own family history. They have to spend 15 minutes talking to a relative who knows family history, make a visit to a family history library, or research online using a site such as https://www.relativefinder.org/#/main to make their own connections to their own family and what their past family members were doing at various points in history. Although not every student takes this assignment seriously, a lot do. Throughout the year I also share information about my ancestors and what they were doing and where they were through what we were studying. In fact, I apparently share so much, that now, when I say, “guess what?” to my students, one student often remarks, “You’re related to him, right?” and then we all laugh. Still, I have had many students enjoy the fact that class members are related, albeit sometimes distantly, to the people that truly made American history. Ironically, I think it was this desire, to be connected to history, that led to the proliferation of false stories such as “Setting the Record St

Cindy Ness

4/3/2017 01:10:56 pm

Julie,
Thanks for leading out with a thoughtful and interesting essay on finding facts. When reading the two online essays I was struck by the vitriolic nature of the arguments. That is, there appears to be a sense that in acknowledging that Irish Americans experienced slavery and they too had to fight for their Rights it somehow diminishes the Black American story with slavery and their fight for Civil Rights. Why must the fight for rights be a comparative story? How does acknowledging the one undermine the other? And lastly, how do we as teachers accurately teach the theme of Civil Rights within the American story without teaching the whole story? And how can we (teachers) do it in a way that does not cause an us/them mentality that divides our students?
I look forward to hearing your insights on the Timothy Egan text.

Tasha Salisbury

4/5/2017 04:08:20 pm

“Who cares?” I think if you teach history, you’ve probably heard that phrase at least once – sometimes, once a day, and if you have a particularly delightful student, you may be lucky enough to hear that phrase multiple times in a class hour. As history teachers, you have probably responded with an, “I care,” or even a, “You should care.” But how can we convince our students of this? Vitally important is showing students that one event, or a series of events, have effects that we see in place even today, as is the case with the Irish fight for Civil Rights. In the case of the Irish Civil Rights movement, it becomes an important link for American History because it established a precedence of creating heroes from convicts. Denise Conover, a history professor at Utah State University, always used to say, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it echoes, and we need to learn to recognize where the echoes begin.” Arguably, the Irish Civil Rights movement is the place that echoes begin for important aspects in American History including the very idea that a convict can be a hero.
While the American government under the Constitution was created by a group of men who were, at one time, criminals wanted by the most influential empire on Earth, it wasn’t something that was recognized. Men like George Washington were considered patriots, part of the Virginia planter elite, who had never been jailed, and were, therefore, not convicts. In American folklore, spending time in jail meant that you could not be a hero, perhaps an anti-hero, but not the knight in shining armor who rescues the damsel of democracy. The Irish Civil Rights movement changed that. Men like Thomas Maegher and Smith O’Brien created a constitution for the independent state of Tasmania. “A constitution from a convict” was something novel, and could even be seen as heroic (Egan, 115). The romantic escapades of Maegher paved the way for a convict to be truly heroic – even something of mythical proportions without having a spotless criminal record. Maegher’s larger than life image as a harbinger of democracy meant that criminality was something that could be romanticized into heroism. This opened the door for men like Henry David Thoreau to be convicts and still become hugely important for their role in bringing democracy.
The biggest reason that the Irish fight for civil rights is important in the study of American history is because it is the beginning point of Americans accepting convicts as more than just anti-heroes or even antagonists to oppressive regimes, but as actual heroes who fought against a corrupt system and won. The Irish Civil Rights movement showed that class, money, education, or even criminal record, could not dictate who deserved the chance to play a large role. Thoreau’s time in jail produced his masterpiece, Civil Disobedience, which was accepted by Americans, arguably, because Maegher himself was being hailed as a hero for his arrest following his work with other Young Irelanders in a Civil Rights movement. Maegher had been made into a hero, despite his status as a convict, paving the way for Americans to accept a convict as a hero too.
While the knowledge of the Irish fight for civil rights is incredibly important in many other aspects in the American story, it is also important in that it equated jail time not just with wrongdoing, but with martyrdom – something that would play hugely in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s status later in the American Civil Rights movement, and that continues to play a large part in the near canonization of those who are arrested for being part of the Civil Rights movement. Considering the backlash that followed criticism of congressman John Lewis, it can be seen that an arrest for the sake of Civil Rights is still equated with the status of a folk hero.
So, why should our students, or even we as teachers care about the Irish fight for civil rights? In this case, because it completely altered the way that Americans viewed conviction and influenced the way in which a hero was defined in American culture. All things considered, the precedence established by men like Thomas Maegher and William Smith O’Brien is not just one of policies in a Civil Rights movement, but of definition, in which a criminal is glorified and prison becomes a place that creates civil rights saints, not just a place where one more convict is produced.

Christopher Jones

5/9/2017 01:41:28 pm

Tasha, I like the recognition that most of the heroes in Civil Rights movements were considered convicts. Or at least I think that is what you were referencing. It is interesting to think about the civil rights leaders in history who had spent time behind bars for fighting against laws they saw as unjust. In some cases, like Nelson Mandela, decades in prison. I think it goes back to what we discussed at the beginning of this specific class when Cindy asked us the different types of rights out there, human, civil, inalienable, etc. It makes me think more deeply about the role of government, and how it should go about protecting those rights we consider to be inalienable and natural. But also recognizing those who went against social norms to help others recognize the oppression of those rights.

Jonathan B Wrigley

5/11/2017 12:49:36 pm

It is interesting to look at history from different perspectives. We view George Washington as a patriot like you said but how did the British view him? We look at Benedict Arnold as a traitor while the British viewed him as a loyal subject to the crown. Looking at history from multiple perspectives is important to get a clearer picture of how events are truly perceived and interpreted. This gives students a better more well rounded understanding of events. This helps them understand the world around them better and become a better global citizen.

Ryan Fisher

4/17/2017 08:25:41 pm

To truly understand American History, one must look at the individual groups that make up the American story. The Irish story is a prime example of why this is an important concept to understand.
The Irish story explains how location doesn’t necessarily change opportunity. They experienced oppression and hate on both continents that they played a major role in. How could this be that they faced oppression in a similar fashion in both locations. You really need to look at how prejudices take place to understand this.
The Irish faced an environment where they were treated as a child would be treated by their parents in some aspects. On their home soil the English viewed them as unable to rule or determine their own destiny. They viewed them as less intelligent and likely to cause harm to themselves. They did not believe they could rule themselves.
Once the great famine takes ahold of Ireland and generations of Irish are forced or choose to leave their homeland, they had a great expectation that they would find an environment where they would be accepted as an equal part of society. What they found instead was a way of life that was only slightly better than what they had left. They faced discrimination in housing, politics, and employment. Soon afterwards they would find the same basic discrimination in the military that would lead to massive casualties in the units that they served in. When all else failed, send in an Irish unit to be sacrificed.
There is such an emphasis on the African American aspect of history. While I truly believe that it is important to focus on the issue of African American slavery, it is not the only story of slavery and oppression in early American History. The Irish faced many of the same struggles (while not in bondage), and later were even forced into a position to be in competition with those same African American’s once they were freed from slavery.
The Irish story is just a portion of the American story, but the best reason of all to teach it in my mind comes down to the possibility that you can find one or two students who need a connection to history. This story might be the connection that they need, they may find a story within a story that traces to something that they value. There is always the chance that the important fact in history for them that lights a fire is found in the Irish story.

Ashlee Karpowitz

5/9/2017 05:27:19 pm

"The Irish story explains how location doesn’t necessarily change opportunity." The geography teacher in me absolutely loves this! You're completely right, changing location doesn't necessarily change how someone is treated. Immigration (then and now) is a perfect example of this - many people may be trying to escape prejudices or persecution, but those often follow them, as some discrimination followed the Irish. That was a cool thought to think about. Thanks for sharing!

Gina Dansie

4/20/2017 09:27:37 am

When asked to identify examples of Civil Rights in American history many students can name the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Many students incorrectly think that African Americans were the only group to fight for their equality and rights under the law. By expanding the discussion about Civil Rights and the various groups, including the Irish, who fought for their rights, a better understanding of US history and current events can take place. By specifically studying the plight of the Irish, students will be able to better understand the religious implications, make connections to various groups and identify applications to current civil rights movements.
America prides itself on religious freedom, however, the reality shows that discrimination has occurred based on religious beliefs. Beginning in Europe there was a distinct difference between Protestant England and Catholic Ireland. This difference was one of many reasons why the Irish were the victims of persecution by the English. Those feelings and judgements carried across the Atlantic Ocean and continued to manifest in America. The mistrust of Catholics continued and came to a forefront with the election of John F. Kennedy, a Catholic American with Irish roots, in 1960. Concerns were raised whether he would be loyal to the Constitution or the Pope. Increasing the knowledge about the religious aspect of Irish civil rights will give students a background to better understand events that occurred afterwards.
The Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s is the most common application of civil rights. By including the discussion of the Irish, it allows students to identify that civil rights is not only about race. Using the Irish narrative, it provides examples that groups of various nationalities, religions, and social status should also be included in the discussion. By broadening the definition and examples, students of various backgrounds will hopefully find something to identify with and will make personal connections with civil rights in American history, not just the African American students.
By forming personal connections with civil rights history and the efforts of the Irish, students will be able to take their knowledge and apply it to current events. One of the goals of history education is for students to make their own judgements and to apply past events to the present. If students are able to identify and relate to groups who are still fighting for their rights, they will become better global citizens and will have a better understanding of current events. The Irish fight for Civil Rights is a perfect example for students to see that “civil rights” can be applied to a variety of factors, not just race.

Ryan Fisher

5/7/2017 05:09:55 pm

I like your example of JFK and the challenges of religious tolerance that still existed in the 1960's and the Civil Rights movement. I remember in the 2012 election the Mitt Romney was going to need to make a JFK style speech about his religion if he wanted to have any chance of being elected.
The Civil Rights movement seems to be one of the areas that I as a teacher struggle with most years (maybe because it comes at the end of the year and time is at a premium), so this has been a really useful area to have to take a closer look at and try to improve how and why to teach Civil Rights as a whole and not just for one group.

Ashlee Karpowitz

4/26/2017 08:12:56 pm

I am embarrassed to say I never knew the depth of the Irish fight for Civil Rights until now. “The Immortal Irishman” opened my eyes to a history not commonly known, but needs to be shared. I loved following Thomas Meagher’s story through each fight for rights on various continents. I’m excited to share this with students, especially his large role in the Civil War.
I think it is crucial students see a variety of backgrounds fighting for civil rights so they are able to make connections to things they have already learned or experienced. Most students know about the Civil Rights Era of the 1960’s and the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the early 1900’s, but I think it would be rare to find students who know about the Irish fight. Recently, I’ve been talking to about my students about making connections and the power that comes every time you make a connection. The science of it amazes me – literally connecting neurons to strengthen synapses, but also just the “light bulbs” that go off when students make connections. Just this week my students and I were discussing “interstates” and how they came to Utah in the 1960’s and how convenient that must have been for people, and how strange it would be for us to think of our state without them. We talked about one of my favorite jeopardy-style facts: Interstates running North and South are odd numbers, and interstates running East and West are even numbers. Then I slowly said interstate and they gasped when they realized they connected states – inter-states. Even though that’s kind of silly example, my students made a connection that day and it’s something they won’t forget.
I think when they hear the Irish story and Thomas Meagher’s story they will be able to make connections to history they’ve already learned. I think a big connection they can make in US History is that there were many counties under British rule that hoped to break away, specifically, the United States of America. You can compare the British rule over America to the British rule of Ireland. It would be fun to discuss why they were so different, why Americans were successful in independence and why the British were not, etc. I think anything that helps a student make a connection has merit and value and the Irish fight for civil rights is a perfect example of that.

Tasha Salisbury

5/13/2017 01:10:57 pm

Ashlee, I didn't know that about the interstate state system. I also love that you call it a Jeopardy-style fact. Even connections that seem silly to us are sometimes huge revelations for our students. I think that sometimes as adults we forget how small our worldview was when we were in high school/middle school. When we can get our students to see connections it broadens class discussion as a whole.

Christopher Jones

4/28/2017 04:23:29 pm

Michelle Obama stood up at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and referenced a piece of history not normally recognized at a convention. “I wake up every morning in a house (the White House) that was built by slaves.” This was stated, of course, as a ‘look how far we have come since then’ type of statement, but it also demanded the American people to recognize who really built this country. This is not an essay about slavery in the United States, or even the African American population for that matter. This essay focuses on another group of immigrants, the Irish. The Irish existence in the United States, and their story, are absolutely necessary to understand when learning American history because they played a major role in literally building this country. Please note, the goal of this essay is not to prove that the suffering of the Irish was in any way equal to, or worse than, that of African Americans in this country. So often, as teachers, the mention of manufacturing and the American labor force leads to a discussion focused on the ‘Titans of Industry’. But who was working in Carnegie’s steel mills? Who was refining Rockefeller’s oil? Who was laying the track for Vanderbilt’s steam trains? A piece of Irish heritage is behind every brick laid in the urban environments of early U.S. society. A large portion of bridges crossed and skyscrapers built in these areas were the work of Irish immigrants. These accomplishments are made even more impressive when taking into consideration the oppression they faced from the English Monarch.
The Irish are the American story when discussing the concept of pursuing happiness and liberty. Although It may not have started out that way, life was filled with much more opportunity for the Irish after they had arrived in America. Some may be familiar with the video, The Men Who Built America. It is a video created by the History Channel, dedicated to, well, the men who built America. It is not to say that the laborers aren’t mentioned in those videos, but there is a lot of emphasis put on ‘the few’, when it took ‘the many’ to create the United States. To take the Howard Zinn approach, it is the lives of these men and women who really tell the story of U.S. history. The rags to riches story often gets overplayed in our history classes. What about those who remained in rags for most of the 19th century? The Irish made a name for themselves in the United States because of what they had accomplished in the face of adversity. The Irish often took jobs no one wanted. They were working in the coal mines. The Irish were setting railroad ties. The women took jobs as servants or domestic workers. Because of this, this they were despised by the protestant working class, who antagonized them every step of the way. This led to the Irish forming powerful unions to combat against discrimination from those who owned the means of production. The Irish were laborers throughout most of the 19th century, but they were a dominant driving force in the creation of the United States.
The Irish immigrants left a lasting mark on U.S. society. Not only did they contribute to the infrastructure which is seen today, but they would also take part in politics. They would even from ranks to fight for political ideals which they thought was their duty. Thomas Meagher held a variety of positions throughout his political career. His political career in America began orator for political change in Ireland, and the United States. Then Meagher became a soldier in the U.S. Army which led to a position as territorial governor of Montana. Not all stories ended the way Meagher’s did, however. The Irish Brigade which Meagher led took part in politics as well. They helped fight against the institution of slavery in the United States. It was not enough for many of them to have simply fled from oppression, rather, they took it upon their shoulders to see to it that the African American would be free from oppression as well. Now, not all Irish fighting under Meagher felt sympathy towards the enslaved African American population, but some were reported to have identified their oppression being similar to that of the slaves in the South. Others simply identified with the principle of fighting against a country which was supported by the monarch in England. Either way, they were sacrificing their lives in order to build their legacy in a new country they would call their home. Not only did the Irish seek refuge in the United States, they participated in the Civil War in order to free the slaves.
In many ways, the Irish participating in American politics validated the institution of democracy which the entire United States was based on. Nativists, known as the “Know Nothings” tried with all their might to keep the Irish out. They flew their flag high, bearing the motto, “Native Americans, Beware of

Graham Stromberg

5/9/2017 08:11:25 pm

Christopher,

I very much enjoyed your essay. It is well thought out and presents some ideas that have caused me to reassess some of my thinking. For example, I must agree that I have often ignored the contributions of the men who helped to actually build our greatest cities. I guess it is tempting to focus on those financing major public works projects rather than those who were first hand participants in the building process. I also like how you tied in Michelle Obama's comments regarding the building of the White House at the beginning of your essay - it is a great example of the progression of civil rights over the past few centuries. I am sure your students benefit from your ability to make the past applicable to the present. When we go on our summer excursion it will be interesting to see the historical evidence of infrastructure and building projects that were literally built by Irish immigrants.

Cindy Ness

5/31/2017 02:54:48 pm

Chris,
Your essay is extremely well written, thought provoking and insightful. My mother-in-law was a second generation Irishman'woman'. Your essay makes me proud to bear her name. Thanks for that!

Jonathan Wrigley

4/29/2017 08:11:01 am

American History is the study of the groups that made up our country and how they influenced it. We talk about the Founding Fathers and their backgrounds. We talk about many of the different immigrant groups that came to the United States and the impact they had on our history. But we don’t talk a whole lot about the Irish influence. All I remember about the Irish from American History was that they came because of the potato famine and primarily immigrated to New York and Boston. I never learned about their influence on American history or their contributions to society. But they played a much greater role than that. They were incredibly influential in the Civil War in the Irish Brigades and in how legislation in New York and Massachusetts was formed.
It also gives us a greater perspective on American Society at the time. We often teach and view the North as more progressive and a haven for people while the South is demonized because of slavery. The Irish frowned upon in the Northern States. Legislation passed in some of these states was made to directly impact the Irish in a negative way. In the “Immortal Irishman” we read about Meagher’s struggle with the legislation that made it difficult for Irish immigrants to become citizens and being unable to vote. They were treated as the lowest rungs on a ladder and were continually stepped on in the North. Most lived in tenements, which were hovels that were about as bad as the abodes they had lived in previous to leaving Ireland for a better life. We often only consider the issues that women and African Americans had and their fight for civil rights. But there were other groups out there who also had a deep struggle and who had to deal with bigotry. The Hispanics had to with Caesar Chavez and the Irish had to during the antebellum period and reconstruction period. Each of these narratives is an important piece to consider when studying our country’s history and evolution.
I think it is important for students to learn about these events that happened over 150 years ago and make comparisons to our society today. America isn’t perfect and hasn’t claimed to be. But the ideals we stand for and are working towards are helping us to become a better country. When students learn about early immigration and the struggle these early Americans had can they see any similarities today with immigration today? How are immigrants treated today? Is there still legislation that makes it difficult for immigrants to become citizens? These are great things for students to compare and contrast to see if we are making progress towards those ideals that our country stands for.

Lori

5/3/2017 01:32:54 pm

I enjoyed reading your post. The idea that the North was in no way a haven for women, African Americans, or immigrants is a great point. It's easy for students to make the conclusion that the North was a place of freedom and non-discrimination, when, in fact, it was not. People of the time-- both Northern and Southern-- also resorted to violence against those whose opinions differed from their own. (Such as Bleeding Kansas, the Know-Nothing Party, etc.).

I like the questions you bring up about immigration today and how we can compare the "then" and "now." In making that comparison, we obtain insight into human nature and find that our past and present can be linked by similar attitudes and beliefs.

Melannie Pew

5/9/2017 09:16:45 pm

I really liked the questions you posed at the end of you essay. One of our purposes as teachers to make the past relevant today. I think these questions pull some important themes from the book and link them to the questions that are current and relevant to today. Overall that was something that pleasantly surprise me about this book. The struggle discussed in Meager's life was more relatable than I would have imagined. This made the reading more enjoyable, and it makes it easily adaptable to the classroom.

Melannie Pew

4/29/2017 12:40:09 pm

This was a very fascinating study. From the beginning of this book Timothy Egan does a wonderful job of uncovering this buried history. It begs the question of why this narrative has been largely left out of the accepted Civil Rights discourse. This does Americans a disservice. There is much to learn from the Irish fight for Civil Rights. Leaving the Irish fight out of the discourse cheapens the meaning of the Civil Rights Movement and isolates the struggle, which in turn isolates people and learning that could happen.
First, including the Irish fight for Civil Rights enriches the overall history of the movement. All too often, in secondary education, when discussing civil rights, teachers and standards limit the discussion to African Americans and women. Although this does reach a sizable percentage of the population, many are left out. It leaves out the Irish, Chinese, Hispanics, and Native Americans, Mormons, as well as others. Doing this limits the struggle, when really much of the people in American history have played a part in the fight for civil rights. As teachers, it is our task to take history and make it relevant. By limiting the dialogue to African Americans and women, we isolate many of our students whose own history is entwined in this struggle more than they realize. Including the Irish side of the fight would enrich the learning experience and allow teachers to reach more students and make the content applicable and real.
Next, as historians and teachers of budding historians, why are supposed to discover why things happen, we become the meaning makers. Our struggle is to do this without bias. The best way to do that is to have all the facts available, to hear all the voices. To understand why the civil rights movement was necessary and to understand why the America government allowed the oppression so many different groups, we need to hear all sides of the conflict. The Irish fight for Civil Rights is a hugely important side of the discussion. I fear that many students walk away from a unit on Civil Rights believing that the struggle was limited, when it truly affected so many different groups. This widens the struggle and develops the humanity. Meaning, that there was a wider issue in America, than believing slaves and women were inferior. This helps in understand the whys that led to the civil rights. Including the Irish fight for Civil Rights is paramount because it provides another important facet to the story in the overall civil rights discussion.
Finally, including the Irish fight for Civil Rights is important because it challenges the accepted narrative. This side of the story is more provocative; it challenges the reasons we accept for oppressing other humans. By doing so, it provides more questions, it allows for a deeper, more meaningful, discussion about the civil rights movement, and what may have caused the American government to deny so many what was is so clearly promised to all in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. By challenging what people believe and accept, our classes, can enrich our student’s abilities to apply meaning in new ways, and ultimately, be able to make this content more significant to them.

Eden Ellingson

5/14/2017 06:54:20 pm

I had the same reaction to the book and felt my understanding of the Irish struggle broadened. I realized that I had been guilty myself of leaving such an important struggle out of my teaching, and now I know how much my students would benefit from learning about another side of Civil Rights. I like the idea of helping students uncover stories that will resonate with them and see that the effort for Civil Rights had to be made by many groups as they came to the United States.

Graham Stromberg

4/29/2017 09:38:18 pm

Knowledge of the Irish fight for Civil Rights is important in a study of American history for the following reasons. The Irish struggle for equal treatment under the law receives much less attention than the African American struggle for Civil Rights, is particularly relevant for students to understand in the context of current events (especially with the current national debate over immigration), and offers a much needed counter-balance to the belief that ethnic conflicts are a uniquely American phenomenon.

While it is impossible to have a fluid understanding of American history without exploring the African American struggle for Civil Rights, anecdotal evidence leads me to believe that the Irish story is underrepresented in history education. For example, prior to reading The Immortal Irishman, I had very little knowledge of the Irish experience in world and American history. While I had college courses that focused much time on African American history, nothing comparable can be said for class time spent studying Irish American history. As one of the goals of history is to help people understand their forebears, it is irresponsible to neglect the history of a group that represents the third largest ethnic group in the United States (there are approximately 35 million Irish Americans) and the fourth largest ethnic group in Utah. Furthermore, Egan presents compelling evidence that Irish peasants during the Cromwell period and Great Famine suffered as horribly as any group in history.

The new Utah core standards for social studies are intended “to help students make connections between the ideas and events of the past and their lives today.” In order to make sense of the current political debate over immigration, studying the conflicts between Irish immigrants and the Protestant natives should help students to think critically about the benefits and costs of immigration. As the topic of immigration has, in some opinion polls, been shown to be the most important policy issue for American voters, the time has never been better to observe historical patterns regarding earlier waves of immigration.

Lastly, it is of value to focus on the Irish experience because it gives much needed context to the idea that the United States is among the most oppressive countries in history. While new immigrants often faced discrimination and hardship, it is difficult to dispute the fact that the majority of immigrants chose to stay. Students of American history who know nothing of the push and pull factors that motivate immigration may neglect to realize that many migrants settled in the U.S. because it was less oppressive than their home countries. For example, Egan makes it clear that the plight of an Irishman in the 1840s was much worse than his Irish American counterparts, as he notes that 848,000 Irish immigrants made the treacherous, cross-Atlantic journey to New York City from 1847-1851. (Egan, 134)

Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-ethnic-groups-in-america-2013-8
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
http://www.schools.utah.gov/CURR/socialstudies/Core/Grades712.aspx
http://www.gallup.com/poll/173306/one-six-say-immigration-important-problem.aspx

Lori Robinson

5/3/2017 02:00:35 pm

I like what you said about counter-balancing the idea that ethnic conflicts are uniquely American because this simply isn't true. Furthermore, such an approach tends to encourage an "us" versus "them" mentality and makes it difficult to work on problems together for the benefit of all.

Thank you for the informative data about the Irish make-up of society. Very interesting!

Jonathan Wrigley

5/10/2017 09:51:58 am

I thought you were right on the money in the first paragraph where you said that the Irish fight for equality was a "counter-balance to the belief that ethnic conflicts are a uniquely American phenomenon." Growing up and going to school I didn't learn about or hear much about ethnic conflicts beyond those in the United States. You didn't hear about anything else. It gave me the impression when I was younger that America was the only county that had multiple ethnicities because you never heard of racial or ethnic tensions from other places. But they do happen and the Irish experience with Great Britain is a glaring example of this.

Eden Ellingson

4/29/2017 10:00:25 pm

As I read the book, by Timothy Egan, I was struck by how unique this Irish story was, yet how relatable it is to the United States today. This is exemplified by the robbing of civil rights from whole groups of people. The British strove to take away the Irish ability to practice their religion, language, musical traditions, voting rights and pretty much anything that had contributed to their culture—this was a specific tragedy, but variations of this story have happened to many other immigrant groups. Then the mass migration of many Irish for political reasons, religious freedom, forced migration and most importantly starvation of the Irish, continue to fill out the story of the United States. The Constitutional Rights Foundation states that “between 1845-1855 more than 1.5 million” people left Ireland to come to America. Most came to escape famine, but some were forced to leave and yes, some were sent to be enslaved in the new world.
It reminds me of how often individuals like to try and compare pain. The two blogs posts, “IRISH: THE FORGOTTEN WHITE SLAVES” and “Were the Irish Slaves in America Too?” are comparisons of two tragic experiences—how the Irish came to America and were treated, and the story of enslaved Africans forced migration. There seems to be an unwillingness to allow one group to tell their story without having to diminish the other. I wish we could hold each story in our hand with respect and not have to pit one against the other. It is absolutely true that Africans were forced to come to America, and that their enslavement was hereditary and therefore permanent. There is no arguing with that. That fact is important to any understanding of this country. That incredible suffering should not diminish that other groups struggled and suffered as well. That is the trick used by the elite to keep one at risk group, at the throat of another, at risk group—allowing the privileged to stay above the fray. This happened in story of the book. Meagher, has to contend with the way the Irish feared freeing the slaves. Meagher, “was castigated in the Irish American press, called a fool, a Lincoln lover, a ‘negrophilia,’ among the printable epithets.” (page 256) The main fear was that freed slaves will take the jobs of the Irish. That fear was amplified by the Southern sympathizers trying to manipulate the Irish into fighting for them—or at least keep them from fighting for the Union. The North appealed to the Irish experience with the British and their desire to cast off English oppression. Each group tried to manipulate the Irish to fight for one side or the other.
The value in teaching the Irish story to students for me is that each student deserves to hear as much of the truth as possible. In that truth, they just might find a way to relate to that story, whether it is the story of forced African migration, Irish immigration, and our whole civil rights history, to what is happening today. Hopefully the knowledge that the United States has accepted many cultures, and each has a story that is unique and adds to the sum total of the country will help them understands that we are playing out no less tragic stories today. Immigration is in the news every day; we have irrational and rational fears regarding that immigration. Just as the United States did centuries before and the perceptions we have today will shape all of us, because it all matters.

Gina Dansie

5/1/2017 08:32:07 am

I really like how you mention how people try to compare the pain, but that people tend to have an either/or mentality about it. I think we can relate this issue to our classrooms and current events. With you example I immediately thought of the BLM vs Cops Lives Matter mentality. A lot of people figured it had to be one or the other, when in reality it could (and probably should) be both

Jennifer Klein

5/14/2017 05:48:55 pm

I love your explanation of how this relates to your students. Absolutely perfect!! As we help students learn about many different cultures and the struggles that others have gone through, they will be able to connect better. They will find similarities between the past and their present conflicts.As a teacher, that is the dream!

I love how you describe the conflicts of the Irish. You are right we cannot pit each conflict against each other. Each have had their own difficulties and struggles. We need to make sure to give each struggle a place in our class and honor those people

Lori Robinson

4/29/2017 11:06:17 pm

Why Study the Irish Experience?

The Irish experienced a long history of attack against their religion and culture. They were not afforded the luxury of self-government and remained oppressed for so long that they began to accept it as a part of their existence, having been stripped of “ethnic pride and religious freedom” (Egan). If they pushed too hard for any Civil Rights, they found that the consequences were severe—more penal codes outlawing even more of their lifeways.
Class distinctions among the Irish themselves made those who did experience a better way of life extremely cautious in the call for more rights. The very class of people with the education and resources to affect the most change hesitated to foment revolution, as they had seen the devastating effects of failed revolts. They knew the risk of losing their status if they failed. Meagher’s father advises the young Meagher that, “Change will come to Ireland slowly, by peaceful means” (Egan 15).
When the potato famine strikes, political viewpoints clash with the basic right to life of the Irish people. As the English mostly look on with contempt, their lack of empathy and excuses (laissez faire economics, laziness of the Irish people, etc.) make them complicit in a near-genocide of the Irish population. Even the Earl of Clarendon, chief overseer in Ireland, admits “A great social revolution is now going on in Ireland, the accumulated evils of misgovernment and mismanagement are now coming to a crisis. No one could venture to dispute the fact that Ireland has been sacrificed.” (Egan 55)
Studying the history of the Irish fight for Civil Rights is essential in building an awareness that the struggle for Civil Rights occurred and still occurs today throughout many cultures. As a people under British control for nearly 800 years, the Irish experienced a loss and denigration of their culture, language, religion and ways of life as the English legislated them into the lowest class of society. The English regarded the Irish as a despicable, dirty, lazy race of people. That the English, a people who had outlawed the indecent practice of slavery, could continue the maltreatment of the Irish and then ignore them as they died of starvation, raises many questions about human nature and human rights in general.
As we study different atrocities, we find that they are not always based on racial factors as was slavery. In fact, religion is the basis for the maltreatment of the Irish Catholics of Britain (a Protestant country). Another example of cultural upheaval is the Rwandan genocide during 1994 when one tribe of African people (Tutsis) kill another tribe (Hutus) through a bloody 100-day extermination. So, what is the value of teaching about such atrocities? We want our society to be peaceful. We want our society to appreciate the uniqueness and differences of others instead of using them as a wedge to obtain power or control. We begin to appreciate that our own culture and ways of life are not infallible. We find that we are not so different from one another. Hopefully, we will also find that we share a desire for a culture that not only values individual freedoms, but those of the collective whole of society.
The Irish fight also provides insight into the importance of a people’s sense of identity and they use it as a basis from which to make positive change. Like breathing air, this seems to be a natural desire of people everywhere—language, myths, religion, poetry, sports, shared history—give populations a sense of shared history, providing a basis for a united, usually peaceful, way of life. For nearly 800 years they were deprived of Civil Rights and downtrodden, yet maintained a “ . . . an inheritance of memory” that allowed them to continue to be Irish. We observe how a culture can stay alive amidst severe persecution and cultural attack. A people’s sense of cultural identity can be strong. In order to simply survive, many people emigrated from Ireland if they had the means. Others, like Meagher, were fortunate to have the resources to challenge the status quo through writing and speech and organizing. He finds a cause to fight for and even after being “transported” to Van Diemen’s Land insists that “Her [Ireland’s] memories, her sorrows, her hopes mingle with my own.” He declares, “I am with her still.” Egan states, “As for his life cause, he would never give up. The failed uprising was just an episode; it did not have to be the end. As long as he drew breath, the fight for a free Ireland would be the animating force of his days . . . “ (Egan 95) Meagher continues to find a way to connect with the Irish of New York through the Irish militia, at first formed as a community group that might someday help to free Ireland. Later on, he is active in the 69th New York Regi

Gina Dansie

5/1/2017 09:13:54 am

Many of my students think that these horrible atrocities in American history were only based on race. I liked how you stated that these have not always been based on racial factors, but that religion has also played a significant factor as well. I think that by making sure that we, as educators, broaden the scope in which we talk about Civil Rights and give various specific examples, that they will be able to relate to our past and like you said, find a desire to be part of a culture that values individual freedoms AND those of the collective whole society.

Christopher Jones

5/9/2017 01:31:55 pm

Lori, I like the connections being made with the groups in Africa. I think discussing current issues which are similar to historical events really resonates with the students. In class we talk about Facebook profile pictures, and how you can use the filter which puts the flag of a different country over your picture. For instance, there was one for Belgium and France, but there weren't any for Middle Eastern countries, like Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, where terrorist attacks happen more often and the casualties are harder. So, discussing that Western ethnocentric idea behind how we view the world. Your essay just made me think of that.

Lori Robinson

4/29/2017 11:10:41 pm

Later on, he is active in the 69th New York Regiment and fights many Civil War battles. After the war, he still intends to serve his country and becomes governor of the Montana territory. Meagher is an example of how one person can continue to be a force for positive change in society. The Irish militia is another example of how a people’s will to never give up can drive them to do positive things.
Additionally, teaching Irish history allows us to delve into cultural attitudes that are uncomfortable but essential to confront. For example, is there a balance between the rights of a people as a group and the rights of individuals? What can happen to a society where norms are sacrificed for rights of the group as a whole or the individual? What happens in a society that squelches or attacks freedom of expression? Are their certain Civil Rights that are more important than others? For example, is it a problem when a religious belief threatens the rights and safety of others within that religion? These are just a few of the difficult questions that at the forefront of our quest for Civil Rights today. By looking through the lens of the past, we can begin to tackle the big questions of our own time—ones that will shape our future.

Jenni Klein

4/30/2017 08:41:00 pm

When looking at the broad scope of American history it is easy to simply look at the surface. We can discuss the fight for freedom from Britain, we can cover the heroes that risked their life during the wars. Through in a few rich oil and steel barons and you could say “there is the history of America.” But, instead America is a melting pot of human conflict. People fighting for their right for Liberty and Equality for all. The Irish fight is one that must be taught not only because of the sheer numbers of Irish that settled in America, but because of their impact on American history. As so eloquently described in “The Immortal Immigrant” the Irish were the only country that wouldn’t bow down to English Rule. They continuously fought for their heritage, culture, and future way of life. These people brought that same tenacity to America. They lived in squander, worked for nothing, and even fought in a civil war for a country they barely knew. Their history is one of many immigrants who followed the call to come to America. They came in hopes of a better life, and had to fight to ensure their children received it.
When thinking of civil rights we usually just think of 1960’s and Black Americans. But early America was a stage of have and have nots. There have been issues of Nativism. Many felt that even though one was white, if they had not been born in America they did not deserve equality. Immigrants from all countries had to prove their worth and fight to have equality in this “land of free.”

It is important to learn about this history in order to better appreciate the fight and struggle those that really worked and built America to be the country that it is. The founding fathers dreamed of a world of equality for all-- but Irish were the first to really have to fight to show what that means and how would we make that happen.

Lori Robinson

5/3/2017 02:07:20 pm

I love the point you make about how the Irish fought in a civil war for a country that they barely knew and that they fought so hard for their own culture to survive. That they would recognize the Civil War was a fight by a country that valued individual rights and be willing to put their own lives in jeopardy speaks volumes about their recognition of basic human rights and the human desire to maintain a cultural identity.

Tabbie Mayne

5/1/2017 10:13:14 pm

Flaming liberal may be the label given to those of us who teach history from the "bottom up"; however, the question posed is, "Why is the knowledge of the Irish fight for civil rights important in a study of American History? In my conscience, I must teach about the struggles and plight of the Irish because in the words of Timothy Coogan, "one must never divorce himself/herself from the social struggles of the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden."

Most people love to hear stories they can relate to or that stir emotions. Most of us have had to fight for something in our life, whether that be to overcome a disability, poverty, prejudice, or fear. Maybe our fight was to expose truth or to keep our head up in the midst of a personal tribulation. Talking about civil rights engages people because it is most often the story of ordinary people exercising the rights that other ordinary people fought and died to preserve, thereby transforming into extraordinary individuals. This is why I love teaching history from the bottom up. America is great because her people are great.

Most often we reflect on Civil Rights and our minds move to MLK and Rosa Parks. Many know the more famous names. Fewer know of Chavez or Jacqueline Ceballos. Are they any less important? Of course not.

According to the magazine Business Insider, as of the 2010 census, Americans of Irish descent comprise the third largest ancestry group. With over thirty five million Americans claiming to be part Irish. Twenty-two of our forty-five presidents claim Irish heritage. Why not teach about a group of immigrants who overcame incredible prejudice and legal bias by using the law to demand equal protection? I am guilty of thinking of the civil rights movement as the story of American Indians, African Americans, Japanese Americans and the LGBTQ movement. I no longer think in those terms after reading this incredible book. I have a new historical crush: Thomas Meagher. It is probable that approximately thirty-five million Irish Americans may not realize the depth of the fight their ancestors waged to test the young American government. These battles strengthened the new republic as its principles were tried and tested. Allowing us, in the present to reap the freedoms fought previously. It is a tale of courage, dedication, and fortitude every American should know. It is not the story of Irish Americans. It is the story of every American.

Graham Stromberg

5/9/2017 07:48:44 pm

Tabbie,
I really enjoyed reading your post! I agree with you that there are many figures in the struggle for civil rights who are brushed under the rug and who deserve more attention. With regard to your fact finding, I also found the statistics regarding Americans with Irish ancestry to be interesting. As one of the most influential groups in our history, the Irish deserve much more attention! I also found the presidential connection to the Irish to be interesting - I was surprised to learn from your post that nearly half of American presidents have Irish ancestry. It is funny to me that you have developed a new historical crush - I must admit that Mr. Meagher is rather heroic! Lastly, I agree with you that all Americans, regardless of their family history, can benefit from learning about the Irish experience.

Jenni Klein

5/14/2017 05:56:44 pm

Very well written. I also found a crush on Mr. Meagher :) I would love to hear more about how your teach your classes. I think so often we teach the heroes-- but we need to teach all of history. TO teach it in a way that students will relate and understand.

I am very impressed by your research and understanding of the history of the Irish settlers. I always knew about the potato famine and the large number of Irish that came to America-- but my favorite part of this book was learning the background behind it all. To see how and why so many came to America. It was life changing and I'm excited to continue to learn more

Kim Littler

5/2/2017 06:33:44 am

The study of civil rights in America is so incredibly intertwined with the history of America, period. Yet, when confronted with the issue of civil rights, the majority of students and even educated adults, only call to mind the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-to-late-20th century. They recall leaders like Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Malcom X; they recall events like King's March on Washington or the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. And, of course, the struggle of African-Americans for civil rights and equality has been one of the largest social movements in our history, there is no denying that. But why, in schools and in life, do we only account for the injustices against black Americans - or even other ethnic minorities, if you converse with someone particularly well-educated or socially active??? Why don't we learn about people like Timothy Francis Meagher or the fight for Irish-American civil rights???

The answers to these questions may not be readily available or apparent, but the search to answer them helps us – students and teachers – gain a better understanding of not only of what it means to be an American, but also of what it means to be a hero. The American narrative is filled with men (and women) who had overcome remarkable adversity in many forms, be it servitude or slavery, imprisonment, or merely their national or ethnic identity. Frederick Douglass, Malcom X, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, even our “Founding Fathers” all found themselves adversaries to forces of Goliath-like proportions. Yet they overcame, and managed to leave legacies that inspire schoolchildren the country over. But were their plights so much more heroic or admirable than the plights of men like Meagher? Were their plights more “American” than Meagher’s?

Or is it, as I posit, that their plights were more comfortable for us to study and understand? The fight for independence from a tyrannical empire, or the quest for freedom from black slavery, or the right to sit wherever one chooses on a bus certainly are romantic. And they do represent a very clear dichotomy of “good vs. evil.” But, according to John Green, author and advocate for education and lifelong learning, “all dichotomies are false dichotomies.” Certainly King George, British Parliament, and the loyalists living in the colonies didn’t view themselves as the “evil” in their scenario; neither did George Wallace or members of the Ku Klux Klan; or even men and women who were anti-suffragist. And we, as historians, by practicing historical empathy can understand or at least attempt to recognize both sides of an issue. But why is it that we can’t understand or recognize or teach the struggles of those whom history has marginalized, like Meagher?

Again, my answer is comfort. It is easy to understand that white slave-owners justified their owning of African slaves on the basis of race, even though we don’t agree with it or hold their opinions to be valid. The same can be said for anti-suffragist viewpoints – gender is an easily distinguishable marker, historically. So to contemplate that hundreds of thousands of Irish men, women, and children were forced into servitude with no distinguishable sense of “otherness” becomes uncomfortable. To imagine what men like Meagher went through and the adversities they overcame forces us as historians, teachers, and students to shift out of our comfort zone. But that is where the study of history truly begins.

Julie Smith

5/15/2017 12:39:30 pm

I like your points about teaching beyond the "big" figures. We should be teaching about people like Thomas Meager. He may not be well known, but I think it may even be more important to share stories of people such as Meager, and really even "regular people" who didn't make as historically large contributions as Meager did because really that is what history is - the history of the people. History should be our collective history, all of our collective histories - not just the story of the well know, or the rich, or the white, or the men. We have to touch on the story of the common people, because that is what is the most important. Through the common story we truly find ourselves. We can see ourselves in their place in history. We can recognize that history is a bunch of small decisions by regular people (mostly) that led to big (sometime) and not so big (most of the time) changes.

Lori Robinson

5/3/2017 02:18:57 pm

I enjoyed reading your essay. You make good points that race and gender are easily-distinguished markers to use when discussing discrimination. It made me stop to think that maybe that's something that I can improve on in my teaching that would really begin to make a difference to students. Teaching marginalization of people such as the Irish/Meagher may allow students to picture themselves as players in the historical narrative. History then becomes more personal and relevant.

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