Irish American Heritage Month

A labor organizer and advocate for women’s suffrage, Margaret Hinchey rose to national prominence in the early decades of the 20th century. Her passionate speeches advocated for both economic justice and political equality for women She spoke especially of the need for poor and working-class women to gain access to the electoral system.

Many of the girls have left and not come back. This has left some of the looms idle. New girls, mostly young Irish immigrants, get hired. However, there are still unattended looms, and the entire floor is much quieter than it used to be. Lyddie begins teaching Brigid how to read.

Quite a few Irish immigrants to North America served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, including Doctor James McHenry and John Fitzgerald, both aides-de-camp to General George Washington at Valley Forge.

Mary "Mother" Jones had a long career of supporting labor movements across the United States. In the early 1900s, Mother Jones fought for the labor rights of unionized coal miners in the coalfields of West Virginia and participated in the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strikes of 1912-1913. For her role in the West Virginia mine wars, Mother Jones was briefly imprisoned.

The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal is one of the most intact and impressive surviving examples of the American canal-building era. Construction began on July 4, 1828; on its completion in 1850, the canal stretched 185 miles from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. The untold stories of the lives of the workers that constructed the canal have the potential to add another dimension to the C&O Canal’s historical significance.

Archeological resources in Rock Creek Park preserve significant points in the regional history of Washington DC. They include Native American camp sites dating to 2,500 BC and AD 1,400, colonial tenancies, 19th-century dwellings, and Civil War military artifacts. Learn about the significance of archeology for understanding stories of people who lived and worked in the area.

Joseph and Rose Kennedy employed live-in maids when they resided in their first home at 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA. Mrs. Kennedy mentioned that she had help, but never identified who these people were. Through research, discoveries were made about the women who lived with, and worked for, the Kennedy family.

The standing figure of Robert Emmett, Irish patriot and an early leader in the cause for Irish Independence, was presented to the United States in 1916. The statue, dedicated April 22, 1966, is on indefinite loan from the Smithsonian Institution.

A tasty 18th Century dish with more than a few expensive ingredients, potato pudding is something that might've been saved to enjoy during a special occasion.

The mid and late 1800s saw major increases in Irish immigration to Boston. As the Boston Irish community fought for a place in the United States, many staked a claim to the city’s, and country’s, founding history. This conflict over memory and ownership of history coincided with the centennial of the American Revolution in the 1870s. As a result, commemorations around the centennial, including that of the Battle of Bunker Hill, became significant to these groups.