In this episode we build a small part of the story of Irish immigration to the US and Canada through letters to and from Ireland and through women's stories of their lives as they told them to family and friends. It's a story of sadness, love, yearning for home, death, humor, and, ultimately for some, success.

We include:

Mary McLean Walsh's arrival in Quebec from Ireland in 1832 at the age of 16. She and her family land in the middle of an epidemic. The consequences are harrowing.

Margaret McCarty's letter home from New York City to her family in Ireland in 1850 when Margaret was 23. She writes about immigrants clustering in the big cities on the east coast and depressing wages. She recommends that her parents come if they can and gives guidance on what to bring on the journey, including cash to fund leaving the east coast and going into the interior of the country.

Letters between Elizabeth and James Christey in 1846. He was in Minnesota building their homestead while she was in New York waiting with their children. She was 28 at the time.

A letter from Michael and Mary Rush in Ireland to Mary's parents in Quebec dated September 6, 1846. Michael and Mary are begging Mary's parents to send money to get them out of Ireland. They are starving.

A passionate letter from Hannah Curtis in Ireland to her brother John in Philadelphia begging and demanding that he keep his promise to get her and her family out of Ireland. The letter is dated April 21, 1847. Her anger is palpable.

A sad, desperate letter from Mrs. Nolan in Ireland to her son Pat in Providence, RI. The letter is dated October 8, 1850. Mrs. Nolan and her younger son are starving. They pawned the furniture and moved out of their home with the expectation that money was coming to fund their flight to America. It has not arrived.

A short, funny note from Celia Grimes in Flushing, NY to her family back in Ireland. The letter is dated June 12, 1869.

A sad letter from Cathy Greene in Brooklyn to her mother in Ireland. She misses home and is filled with fear about her family. The letter is dated August 1, 1884.

The story of Ann, an Irish cook. It recounts her 50+ years in the US, including the trip from Ireland, her years of working as a domestic servant and her family's success in the US. Ann's story was published in 1906 in an anthology titled, The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans as Told by Themselves. The publisher was Hamilton Holt, the editor of the liberal New York newspaper, The Independent.

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This episode looks at Coney Island in 1881 and tells the story of a German immigrant girl in 1906 who loves amusements, including Coney Island and Rockaway Beach. The Coney Island story comes from a book titled, "Coney Island Folies: How New York's Gay Girls and Jolly Boys Enjoy Themselves by the Sea!" It was published in 1881 by Richard K. Fox. The story of Agnes, the German nursemaid, was published in 1906 in an anthology titled, "The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans as Told by Themselves." The publisher was Hamilton Holt, the editor of the liberal New York newspaper, The Independent.

Coney Island in 1881 was a place where women could be free of the normal constraints of society. They played, they swam, they flirted. They had fun. They also skirted the boundaries of society, acting in ways that many saw as shameful and scandalous. By the time Agnes, our German nursemaid was visiting the Island in 1906, Coney Island had turned into an attraction, with rides, shows and dances to delight all.

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In this episode we hear from twenty-five-year-old Amelia des Moulins, a French dressmaker and immigrant living in New York City. Amelia came to the U.S. in 1899. Amelia talks about life in Paris before coming to the U.S., the fashion industry in Paris and New York, and her hard work to be a success in a new country. Her story was collected as part of an anthology published in 1906, titled, The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans. The anthology was edited by Hamilton Holt, editor and publisher of the liberal weekly The Independent and later president of Rollins College.

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In this episode we hear from sixteen-year-old Sadie Frowne, a Polish immigrant living in New York City and working in a sweatshop. We also hear from an anonymous farmer's wife living in the midwestern United States. Both stories were collected as part of an anthology published in 1906, titled, "The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans." The anthology was edited by Hamilton Holt, editor and publisher of the liberal weekly "The Independent" and later president of Rollins College.

Click here (https://www.patreon.com/hervoiceechoes)if you'd like to support our podcast.