Capstone Paper

Just a note I used footnotes in this paper they didn't copy over though, just in case the reader is wondering.

The Irish and Immigration to Canada

Today when we think of Canada one of the first things that comes to mind is multiculturalism. Thousands of immigrant come every year to make a new life in Canada. We as Canadians often celebrate our openness to those from other countries. Yet as Canadians we must remember that Canada has not always been such a place of open diversity. For the Irish who came to Canada in the early nineteenth century there was little acceptance for their race or way life. The question that lies before us is the question of why the Irish unlike other cultures that came to Canada around that time, had so much trouble being accepted into Canadian culture. The difficulty the Irish had in fitting in with Canadian culture is due to the Irish’s distrust of authority, the different religious beliefs that the Irish held, and racial tensions between British Canadians and Irish Canadian.

The Irish before they came over to Canada had a distrust of authority which made the immigrants to Canada less willing to cooperate with and obey the laws of the land. This distrust of authority started in Ireland with what was known as the Irish Land Act of 1870. Most of the land in Ireland was owned by landlords many of whom were actually British. The Irish farmers paid rent to their landlords in exchange for the right to farm the land. However, with 1870 Land Act the landlords sold most of their land to the Irish farmers. In the short term this massive sale of land had a devastating effect on the economy and in particular the poor farmers. Many of the poor farmers could not afford to buy the land they farmed. Thus many experienced farmers were left homeless and helpless despite the fact they were skilled farmers.

The Land Act combined with the famines that occurred around this time caused great unrest and distrust of all authority. One newspaper stated this, “Almost every hour brings intelligence from each section of this country of murder, assault, robbery of arms, and posting of threatening notices“. The law is being ignored and the landlords and the leaders of Ireland are under heavy fire from the Irish farmers who feel that they have been wronged. Many Irish feel like emigration is the only way left open for them. The Irish poor people had been betrayed by their government left helpless in the grip of poverty.

However, I think what cemented the Irish’s distrust of authority was the Canadian government‘s actions. The Canadian Government advertised Canada as a place of “milk and honey” where land was handed out instead of sold. The government put posters up around the ports in Ireland advertising free land for Immigrants. To Irish, many of whom were kicked off their land saw these posters as a dream come true. However, this dream faded fast as the Irish arrived in Canada only to find no free land and little government help. Dr. Kori points out in his article, “land ownership was of central importance to many Irish immigrant families.” Land was the very reason many of Irish had left their homeland in the first place. When James Boyles, a twenty three year immigrant, was interviewed on the state of trust between the Irish and the Canadian government he stated that, “The fact is that people in Ireland are getting so now that they will not believe the blackguards that promise these things.”

Racial tension between the Canadians further contributed to the lack of acceptance of Irish in Canada. The Irish were practically penniless when they came over from Ireland. Having little money caused many Irish to move into the cheapest and consequently the lowest part of town. Many Canadians started equating the Irish with scum and vice. This reputation was furthered by the many poor Irish woman who came over to Canada. The bishop of Toronto noted that many of the poor Irish women who came to Canada with little or no opportunity to get a honest job. Instead many of these Immigrant women turned to prostitution in order to keep themselves from starving. This in turn worsened the Irish reputation and further causes the male dominated protestant to look down on the Irish as race.

The Irish were thought of as party animals who did nothing but partied and started fights. One news paper argued that like the Chinese the Canadian should place a head tax on the Irish in order to keep them out of Canada .The Donnelly’s, who are poor Irish farmers, provide us with ample evidence the racial stereotyping that went on in nineteenth century Canada . Throughout their lives the Donnellys are in constant conflict with their Canadian neighbours. They were looked down on as not respectable. The authorities did not like the Donnellys and openly condemned them to the community. Though as Dr. Jennifer Pettit notes, “The Donnellys were found not guilty of a fair number of the charges lodged against them.” This feeling of being condemned by society is not merely confined to the Donnellys. In the Newspaper the Irish Canadian the Irish express their concern at the way the Catholic Irish Canadian are being bullied and pushed around by English Protestants. Society stereotyped them and saw them as a threat not based on the immigrants actions but rather society’s own fear.

Doubts about the Irish as a race ever making good Canadians is furthered by the English immigrants in Canada. The Irish are considered to be of inherently lower value. On the other hand The English as a breed is seen as much more noble high minded race who should and will rule society. The Irish represent a threat to this idea of a English ruled society for while they do speak English the Irish are seen like the Jews tied to their religion at the expense of freedom. They stick to their ideology no matter what. This is looked down as somewhat backwards to Canadians. It is also seen as threat to the protestant way of life.

Directly Connected with the prejudice against the Irish race we see concerns about the Irish religion. The Irish religion was not just a side issue but rather one of the most important parts of life. The Religious wars in Ireland are both famous and infamous. These wars were fought between the Irish Catholics and Protestant. In Canada we see a similar separation though not as bloody it is still a factor. Thus, when the Irish come to Canada over we see a heightening of the already tense conflict. We see concerns that the Irish and French together will overthrow the Protestants and take control of Canada. There is a fear that Canada will go back to the dark ages
and that the Canada white male protestants want build will be gone.

This conflict come to light in groups such as the Orange Men. The Orange men were a white male group of men composed largely of protestants. These men openly looked down on Irish as merely ditch diggers who were only fit to serve the Protestants. One letter from an Orange man goes so far as to call the Irish the spawn of the devil. William Port in his diary gives accounts of over two thousand Orange coming out to celebrate their club. This is a significant movement which sharply increases the tension between the Irish and the English. In reaction to groups like the Orange Men the Irish start their own clubs. One such club was the known as the “Whiteboys.” This was a group largely composed of Irish Catholics. These to Group waged wars with each other both in Ireland and to some degree in Canada increasing the religious rivalry and encouraging violence among Irish immigrant and the their host the Canadians.

The Irish are not only divided with Canadians they are also profoundly divided as race when they came to Canada. Miller paints a very compelling picture of the dividedness of Irish by describing the different Factions in Tipperary, Ireland. There are three Major factions the Orange Men, the White Boys, and the Blackfeet. Each one of these faction hates each other and will go at great lengths to boycotte and destroy each other. An Irish Canadian James Joseph in his letter notes that, “Religion strange to say, divides us.” The beliefs that defines the Irish is also the beliefs divides the Irish and keep them apart from each other. This dividedness further hinders the Irish from settling into Canadian culture for they cannot identify with or help out fellow Irish citizens.

During the time that the Irish immigrate to Canada the Protestant English are in control. Their are flagrant attacks on Irish from the English Radicals. John Hanley notes in reference to violence against Irish Catholics, that, “hoodlums never deliberately transgress in this manner unless they feel well assured the respectables are at their back.” Basically its open season on Irish Catholics. The protestant government will turn a blind eye towards violence as long as it goes against the right people. Yet again we see the Irish face in Canada the very thing they were trying to escape from in Ireland. For in Ireland we saw countless act of violence and unrest due to religion and the Government. Here in Canada the supposedly peaceable land the same sorts of things are happening further alienating the Irish from Canada and its government.

Ultimately these factors have horrible consequences for the Donnelly family who are killed in there home by their fellow Canadians. This ethnic strife, distrust of authority and religious conflict tare apart the Donnellys and the society around them. It is easy to look on these factors like ethnic strife as something that does not happen now a days. We believe everybody is equal in Canada right? However, I would argue that this kind of thought still goes on today how often do we as Canadians look down at someone with a turban or someone who cannot speak English. We must be aware as Canadian that we are susceptible to the same prejudices as those who lived a Hundred and fifty years ago. Let us then learn from our history to make sure we stay a nation the embraces diversity and gives everyone a chance to enjoy freedom and prosperity.