Ireland


 * Mr. Gates- SAMPLE**


 * Journal Entry #1- April 10th, 1850**

The year is 1850 and the Gates family is leaving Ireland. After 5 years of suffering at the hands of the Great Famine I am moving my family to the United States of America. My wife and two boys are excited for the new adventure and to leave the awful suffering behind us. Over the past few years we have lost our land and have had very little to eat. Although we know that the trip to America will not be easy we believe that there will be many opportunities to succeed. America is a booming country and we believe that with hard work, success will come our way. Our family will be arriving at Ellis Island, New York. Once arriving we will be looking to find a place to settle in New York City and to meet up with my older brother who made the journey to America 2 years earlier.


 * Journal Entry #2- May 2nd, 1850**

The Gates family has arrived in New York City. Amazingly the four of us have survived our journey on that "coffin ship." We saw many passengers die along the way due to disease and the general poor conditions of the ship. We have connected with my brother Seamus and will be staying in his tenement until we find our own lodging. His place is very small and dirty, but we are making the best out of a tough situation and feel fortunate to have our family here together. I will be seeking employment in one of the many factories that has sprung up in New York City and my wife will be looking for a job in a textile mill. Although life appears to be difficult for Irish immigrants in America, there are some good parts. Our neighborhood is made up almost entirely of Irish immigrants and therefore the process of assimilation into American society can be gradual. Also, our family is of the Catholic faith and there are many others who practice the same as us. However, there will undoubtedly be challenges in our future. Discrimination has been something that we have noticed almost immediately. There are people called "Nativists" that apparently don't like us being here. They seem intent on harassing immigrants, particularly us Irish and the Germans. There is even a political party gaining a following called "The No Nothings" whose goal seems to be to end immigration to America immediately. They believe that immigrants are ruining America and that the nation would be better off without the newly arriving immigrants. Another problem we face is our living conditions. Diseases are rampant in the tenements. Clean water is hard to find. Unlike in Ireland, food is available here, but we can only afford the bare minimum. The Gates family recognizes the challenges ahead and believes we will defeat them and succeed in America like many more before us! Below is a picture of my wife and boys along with my brother's wife and their child. The second picture was taken in the window of a local shop and shows the discrimination that the Irish face in New York City every day.