{"id":401022,"date":"2021-03-16T10:41:55","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T15:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=401022"},"modified":"2021-03-18T17:15:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T22:15:52","slug":"a-quick-history-lesson-of-irish-heritage-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/a-quick-history-lesson-of-irish-heritage-in-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick History Lesson of Irish Heritage in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy (almost) St. Patrick\u2019s Day! Our favorite March holiday is typically known for Guinness, corned beef and cabbage, and lots ‘o shenanigans. But did you know there\u2019s a huge faction of Irish immigrants, thus cultivating some of the deepest roots of Irish heritage in Chicago? Let\u2019s take a look at the origins of Irish ancestry in the Windy City.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Immigration After the Great Famine<\/h2>\n

Chicago saw a significant rise in Irish immigration in the 1830s. A few Irish already resided in Chicago when it was incorporated as a city in 1837. From there, Irish numbers grew exponentially\u2014most were refugees from the Great Famine (1845-1849 where one million people died after widespread failures of the potato crop). By 1850, the Irish community made up about one-fifth of the population in Chicago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like so many of our ancestors, the vast majority of early Irish immigrants in Chicago came to America impoverished. They settled in low-income neighborhoods like Kilglubbin, Bridgeport, and the South Side. And they took poor paying jobs in brickyards and meatpacking plants.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by #ChicagoHistory \u2122\ufe0f (@chicago_history)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n