The Making of a Melting Pot: Irish Immigration to America From
1700 to the early 1800s Irish Immigration to America represented
the first mass immigration to the United States and set the
stage for all future immigrating ethnic minorities. Reflecting
on their experiences brings insight to the challenges facing
today's twentieth century immigrants. In the first report of a
two part series, we examine the importance of Irish immigration
to America from the earliest settlers up until the infamous
"Potato Famine" of the mid 1800s. Arguably the most significant
aspect of Irish immigration to America is that it represents the
first mass migration to the United States and established the
framework for future immigrating ethnic minorities. Early Irish
Contributions Although Irish immigration to America didn't reach
its peak until the mid 1800s, during the revolutionary war,
there were enough Irish soldiers to account for nearly half of
General Washington's Continental army, including 1492 officers
and 22 generals. In