What made Irish come to America?

Answer 1

There were various reasons and two separate groups in different times. In the early 1700's northern Irish came to escape the British who moved them to take their lands. Most of the early Irish were fairly well off and were nicknamed "Lace curtain Irish" because they could afford curtains on their windows. In the 1860's there was another large Immigration from Ireland because of the potato famine and these people were very poor and could barely afford passage. The early Irish looked down on the people who came in 1860 and contributed to the discrimination against Irish immigrants . As young men came from Ireland they were recruited for the civil war and 60% of the men fighting were Irish.