Irish-American History
By Michael DurkinLesson 5: How the Irish Fled
The Irish left the Country any way they could ; by assisted passages paid for by Landlords, through , Chain Emigration ' , their passage money sent home by older siblings, selling themselves into indenture or as Redemptioners, where they had to work for 5 years to free themselves from indebtedness.
How they fled
As mentioned in earlier lessons , the Irish had been fleeing the country since the early 18th Century , so in many places , the Irish had already established beach-heads; groups of countrymen already in place.
The Ships being used were not built for passengers and were trading vessels bringing supplies into Irish ports. The main trading Ports of choice in US were Philadelphia , New York, Newcastle and Baltimore. The main trade into Northern Ireland was flax seed and timber. The flax seed was needed for the flourishing linen industry. Owners found that while they were sailing their ships full of timber , flax seed , tobacco ,sugar and other produce across the Atlantic , they were often coming home empty. Ships do not sail well empty and often Captains were forced to shovel on sand , rock , or bricks as ballast.
Edward Senior , the Poor Law Commissioner said of the Irish in 1855 ,
‘Everybody has one leg over the Atlantic.’ (1)
This was a reality much earlier. Chain emigration was well established by the end of the 18th Century , with one member of a family travelling to America and sending money home to bring out the next member.
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