Irish Family History Forum

Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York

with Tyler Anbinder

In 1845, a fungus began to destroy Ireland’s potato crop, triggering a famine that would kill one million Irish men, women, and childre —and drive over a million more to flee for America. A decade later, the U.S. had been transformed by this stupendous migration, nowhere more than New York. These Famine Irish were consigned to the lowest-paying jobs and subjected to discrimination and ridicule. Even today, the popular perception of these immigrants is one of destitution. But it turns out that the Famine immigrants did far better, far more quickly, than we have previously realized.

Historian Tyler Anbinder will discuss the topic of his new book, Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York, which upends popular beliefs about the Famine Irish in New York and beyond. Drawing in particular on the Emigrant Savings Bank records, Anbinder will present the stories of the Irish refugees who settled in New York and helped reshape the entire nation. The Wall Street Journal calls Anbinder’s book “a superb revisionist history.”

Tyler Anbinder is an emeritus professor of history at George Washington University, having taught there for 30 years. He is the author of three award-winning books: Nativism and Slavery; Five Points; and City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York.

The presentation will be available on Zoom at 10:45 a.m.  Register in advance for this webinar: REGISTER HERE.