Reviews for The Irish in Philadelphia: Ten Generations of Urban Experience

The average rating for The Irish in Philadelphia: Ten Generations of Urban Experience based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-02-03 00:00:00 David Chanan A look back at the unique history of the Irish in Philadelphia. While Irish immigrants swelled the population of the cities of the Northeast during the famine years, the history of the Irish in Philadelphia goes back nearly to the beginning of the city itself, thanks to William Penn's belief in religious freedom. What also makes the Irish's situation in Philadelphia unique was the economic opportunities afforded immigrants in the 1800s, in contrast to much smaller opportunities in Boston and New York. This book covers the anti-Irish riots of 1844, the huge influx of immigrants in the 1840s and 1860s, the separate institutions constructed in the city by the Irish (including a nearly unique parochial school system), the way the Civil War changed attitudes toward the Irish, Philadelphia's participation in "The troubles" in Ireland, among other topics. Coming from an Irish Catholic family with roots in this city going back at least 150 years, this book was extremely interesting and informative. I highly recommend it to anyone with similar roots, or to anyone who is interested in the history of Philadelphia.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-01-24 00:00:00 Michael Donohue Equally as bad as his 'book' on the River Wards - this one adds annoyingly repetitive captions to the authors list of sins. Did you know the Statue of William Penn on top of the tower is 37 feet tall? You'll read that tidbit a dozen times. How about the fact there used to be 552 light bulbs in the clock? Holmes will remind you 1/2 dozen times if you're foolish enough to read this yourself. Avoid this 'book' at all costs.