tlp_09_pkrall

=Teacher Lesson Page=

Philip Krall, Braintree High School
==

Phil's Primary Source Page



Grade Level: High School

Essential Question:
How did immigration affect American conceptions of "WE THE PEOPLE"?

Standard(s):
USI.28 Explain the emergence and impact of the textile industry in New England and industrial growth generally throughout antebellum America. B. the causes and impact of the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to America in the 1840s and 1850s

Guiding Question:
What were "America's" initial attitudes towards the Irish in America and how did these attitudes change over time? How may have the role of the Irish soldiers throughout the Civil War contributed to the shift in these attitudes?

Introduction:
There are numerous examples of Irish influence has had on America today. In addition, many Americans of Irish descent show pride in their heritage. As a group, people of Irish descent are seen as an accepted group in American society. However, there was a time when the Irish were not welcome here in America and it took years for those of Irish descent to be accepted and viewed as part the American family. There were clearly concerns "natives" had about about the growing Irish immigrant population coming to America - their religion, their values, their traditions. Over time, however, these negative attitudes would change. It would not be easy, and there is probably no **one** reason why these feelings changed. However, we can look to specific sources from a key period in American history that illustrate the changing attitudes towards the Irish.

Your job is going to look at various primary sources revolving around the attitudes towards the Irish in America, how those attitudes changed, and what we can imply helped lead the Irish to be accepted.

Task:
Your task is to analyze written and visual primary sources which all pertain to the Irish in American society. You are going to compare the way in which the sources describe or illustrate the Irish in America. Finally, you are going to identify what we can infer about the reasons for eventual Irish acceptance into the American family.

Lesson Process:
Day 1 - Introduction to Irish immigration throughout the early to mid-1800s. 1) Opening Question - In what ways can you see/explain widespread traces of Irish ancestry and/or pride in Irish ancestry in American society today? 2) Examine a recent ancestry map of the United States. 3) Discuss traces of Irish influence in American society. 4) Look at the ballads [see below]. Discuss what attitudes the Irish may have encountered when arriving in the United States. 5) Reading and analysis of Primary Source A - "Irish Heart: Founded on Fact". What were the "natives" view of the newly-arriving Irish?

Day 2 - Further understanding of Irish treatment. 1) Opening Question - How much power does an immigrant group have over how they are viewed by the "natives" of their new home? 2) Discuss the options immigrants have in order to become accepted. 3) Take notes on further treatment of Irish immigrants in America (your teacher will present information). 4) Review Antebellum period through a timeline. 5) Take notes on Irish involvement in American Civil War (your teacher will present information). 6) Reading and analysis of Primary Source B - "Requiem for the Fallen of the Irish Brigade." What is the view of the Irish according to this document?

Day 3 - Ways and reasons for changing attitudes toward the Irish 1) Read and analyze Primary Source C -- "The Emerald Tint of the Army." What is the view of the Irish according to this document? 2) Discuss the different perspectives in each of the three primary sources offers about Irish acceptance in American society. Use the worksheet titled "Poor Pat Must Emigrate" [worksheet in Resources section below]. 3) Complete the essay assignment (see below).

Essay Assignment
Directions: After reading and analyzing the three primary source documents regarding Irish immigration and acceptance into American society, answer the following questions in essay form.
 * 1) Explain how general attitudes (represented by the primary sources) of the Irish changed over time from the early 1800s to the 1870s;
 * 2) Describe the Irish involvement in the American Civil War;
 * 3) Evaluate whether there is other evidence to support the notion that the Irish participation in the American Civil War was a determining factor in the Irish becoming an acceptable piece of the American family, or, is there not enough evidence to support this argument;
 * 4) Describe issues that the Irish experienced in their journey to become accepted into American society and compare these with a current immigrant population in your town/city.

Conclusion
The influence of the Irish in America is not very difficult to see today, however there was a time when the Irish were not welcome as an acceptable members of the American family. Obviously, feelings and attitudes towards the Irish changed over time and there are reasons for that. Understanding the reasons for eventual acceptance is not always the easiest thing to do. In many cases there are multiple factors that contribute to changing feelings towards an immigrant group however, it is possible to evaluate the "stronger" or "weaker" factors.

Assessment
RUBRIC:
 * **Students will be able to… ** || **Inadequate ** || **Adequate ** || **Good ** || **Strong ** || **Weighting ** ||
 * Explain how general attitudes (represented by the primary sources) of the Irish changed over time || Cannot explain or give examples || Can give either examples or explain but not both || Can give both examples and explain || Can give either examples or explain. Uses historical documents and analysis. ||  ||
 * Describe the Irish involvement in the American Civil War || Cannot describe. || Can give simple description with one example. || Can describe and gives several examples. || Can describe, give multiple examples, and connect wartime involvement to attitudes about Irish. ||  ||
 * Describe issues that the Irish experienced || Cannot describe. || Can give simple description with one example. || Can describe and gives several examples. || Can describe, give multiple examples, and explain significance of examples and how these how issues in general. ||  ||
 * Interpret and analyze primary source documents || Cannot identify primary source documents, nor interpret and analyze || Can give examples of primary source documents and briefly restate meaning of one. || Can explain the content of several primary source documents; explains significance of a few. || Can explain the content of primary source documents; explains significance of all by making connections to other documents and to historical events and issues.. ||  ||
 * Evaluate evidence || Misunderstands concept. || Can produce a few examples of evidence and weights importance of a few. || Can produce a multiple examples of evidence and weights importance of several. Indicates which seem more valuable as sources. || Can produce a multiple examples of evidence and weights importance of all. Indicates which seem more valuable as sources and in connection to topics studied. ||

Resources
Document analysis worksheets: []

Ballads


@http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=580 Source: Pennsylvania Historical Society

Audio File (Real Player)" http://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/song.htm

Document Analysis Worksheet -- "Poor Pat Must Emigrate" and Others




Primary Source B -- "Requiem for the Fallen"
Soldiers of the Irish Brigade Are Honored at Antietam

For the soldier-souls of the patriot dead. . . But if high the praise, be as deep the wail O'er the exiled sons of the warlike Gael. . . . Proud beats the heart, while it sorrowing melts O'er the death-won fame of the truthful Celts. For the scattered graves, over which we pray Will shine like stars on their race alway. . .//
 * **//Come, let the solemn, soothing Mass be said,

-- From John Savage's Requiem for the Fallen of the Irish Brigade (Jan. 16, 1864)** ||

From []

Primary Source C-- "Emerald Tint of the Army"
"The Emerald Tint of the Army" @http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/10B7ADEDBB909C88/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED
 * Headline:** From the Saturday Evening Gazette. The Emerald Tint of the Army; **Article Type:** News/Opinion **Paper:** Barre Gazette, published as The Barre Gazette; **Date:** 04-18-1862; **Volume:** 28; **Issue:** 39; **Page:** [1]; **Location:** Barre, Massachusetts




 * Additional Resources:**


 * [[image:http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/amss/sb4/sb40538a/001q.gif width="420" height="683" caption="Image 1 of 1, Return of Gen. Corcoran of the glorious 69th. Air:" link="http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/amss/sb4/sb40538a/001a.tif"]] ||  ||

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/amss:@field(DOCID+@lit(sb40538a))

Links to other Irish-American History documents: []



@http://www.victoriana.com/Irish/1881.htm

[]





"Poor House" from Galway

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