Why did most Irish people come to America?
Most Irish people came to America for a multitude of reasons. One major reason was because of the Great Potato Famine. The Great Potato Famine started when a strange blight started attacking the Irish farmer's potatoes. Aided by the unusually wet winter, it spread quickly and destroyed most potatoes. The destruction of potatoes was horrible for the Irish as most were very poor and could only afford to eat potatoes. Another reason people started leaving was because of British oppression and poverty. Since the British were protestant and the Irish were Catholic, the British enacted many measures to prevent the Irish from practicing their faith. If Irish people continued to practice Catholicism, they would usually take their land and force them to work as tenant farmers. This meant for the Irish that they were usually destitute. Caused by their horrible situation, they set off for a new beginning.