How the Irish Became White

 

Today's nonfiction post is on How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev. It is 233 pages long and is published by Routledge. The cover is a painting by William Sidney Mount "Dance of the Haymakers". The intended reader is someone who is interested in Irish, American, and African American history. There is some foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Ignatiev traces the tattered history of Irish and African-American relations, revealing how the Irish used labor unions, the Catholic Church and the Democratic party to help gain and secure their newly found place in the White Republic. He uncovers the roots of conflict between Irish-Americans & African-Americans & draws a powerful connection between the embracing of white supremacy & Irish "success" in 19th century American society.

Review- This is a very scholarly book about the Irish in America during the 19th century. The way that the Irish emigrants were viewed, the Catholic prejudice in America and racial fears towards both the Irish and African slaves. But this book is not written for the average reader, as it is written in a professional, scholarly way. So some of the language can be very obscure. But if you are truly interested in the history that this book is about, you will find a very interesting resource. Ignatiev gives a very nuanced view of the world that the Irish were coming from and what they were arriving into in America. He does not hide from the racial prejudice towards both African slaves and Irish emigrants. Ignatiev does his research, his notes are excellent, and you can find all his resources if you want to read more about this subject. For the more scholarly, history minded readers, this is a good read. But if you are looking for some more generally approachable, then this book is not for you. 

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.