The Influence of the Irish in Chicago About 1900

Nadia Nammari
Brookwood Junior High School, Glenwood

The Irish have always significantly influenced the city of Chicago. They were organized as a community and were involved in many aspects of the city's political and social life. The Irish were the most numerous of Chicago's early foreign-born people. Thus, they were important contributors to Chicago's history and helped create the great city that it is today.

In 1837 the first Irish community appeared in Chicago, and the majority of the Irish worked on the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Within seven years the Irish comprised 10 percent of the city's 7,580 residents. In the 1840s many Irish came to the United States and ended up in Chicago to escape the Great Potato Famine in Ireland. By 1860 many Irish lived in Chicago. However, at the same time, many other immigrants from different countries also found their way to Chicago. As more immigrants came to Chicago, the percentage of Irish began to dwindle compared to the population of other ethnic groups. By the 1890s the Irish were seven percent of Chicago's one million people.

Even though the percentage of Irish declined by the 1890s, it did not diminish their influence. One advantage the Irish had was that by the 1890s, about 95 percent of the Irish entering the United States were literate. The Irish fought to receive decent-paying jobs and to overcome nativists who had already begun rumors about them. The most common stereotype was that the Irish were crude, loud, and hard drinkers. This untrue statement began because many Irish-owned saloons or liquor stores. Angry Protestants blamed the Irish for alcohol-related problems in Chicago. Unfortunately, the myth that all Irish were drunks turned into a widespread rumor that many Chicagoans accepted as true, when actually people in every ethnic group drank. Another common stereotype in Chicago at this time was that the Irish filled the jails and were criminals belonging to secret societies. This also was untrue. The Irish created vigilant societies such as the Fenians as well as groups who had occasionally fought with their Protestant neighbors. However, most Irish were not involved in these groups. These rumors hurt the Irish reputation and made it harder for them to adjust to American society.

Three major aspects of Irish life helped them Irish to overcome the social problems in Chicago: nationalism, Catholicism, and politics. Nationalism caused the Irish to found organizations such as the American Irish and the Irish National League to preserve their rich heritage. The Irish celebrated their religious and national holidays in Chicago. Interestingly, most Irish in Chicago did not live in exclusively Irish communities. The Irish settled in areas close to an Irish-run parish.

The Irish also worked for the good of the Chicago public. By 1900 one of the greatest examples was that the Irish had six times as many men on the city's police force as the next largest ethnic group. Many young Irish men worked in packinghouses and in the construction industry. Many young Irish women were educated by teaching nuns and in turn became teachers in both public and private Catholic schools alike. Since many Irish women were better educated than the men, they also received jobs in nursing and office work. The Irish continued to flock to Chicago. By 1900 Chicago had the fourth-largest Irish population in the nation, following New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.

The second aspect was the Irish deep belief in Catholicism. Most Irish were strong supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. Their devotion to Catholicism comforted them and reassured them in times of trouble. It also bonded them together as a unit. The Irish in Chicago were very proud of their religion. Irish parishes and church construction grew rapidly. As a result, the Irish took over the local Catholic churches and ran them. They empowered many Irish men into leading roles in the Catholic churches in New York.

In politics the Irish were actively involved by the 1850s and continued their involvement through 1900 and after. Usually the Irish strongly supported the Democratic Party. They mostly voted for Irish Democratic candidates and soon directed Chicago's Democratic Party. During this time, the Irish gained political power and became influential in many ways. One historian claimed that the Irish were the single-most important group on the local political scene. Most Irish used the vote to ensure changes instead of using violence to ensure changes. The Irish used their voting power to elect candidates of their choice and legislation of their choice.

Their involvement in politics also had a down side. They were blamed for many political problems including political scandals, payoffs, fixed court cases, and political mayhem. The positive side, however, was that their concerns were being addressed.

In conclusion, the Irish have always had an important role in the Chicago society. They have

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struggled to overcome stereotypes and receive high paying jobs. The Irish were a unified people who banded together in times of trouble and injustice. They shared their rich culture with Chicago and displayed the dedication to succeed. The year 1900 is a good time to have seen these factors at work in Chicago's history.—[From Richard J.Jensen, Illinois; Cynthia Linton, The Ethnic Handbook; Lawrence J. McCaffrey, Ellen Skerrett, Michael F. Funchion, and Charles Fanning, The Irish in Chicago; Donald L. Miller, City of the Century; Carl Smith, Urban Disorder and the Shape of Belief; Louise Carroll Wade, Chicago's Pride.]

42 ILLINOIS HISTORY / APRIL 2001