The selected historical events are Irish immigration to the United States in the 1840s and 1850s and the movement for slavery abolition, which existed in the country at the same time. People were leaving Ireland during this period due to the Great Famine, which left many households without jobs, income, and food (Murphy, 2006). As a result, immigration to the US became a last resort for getting money and establishing a new life on a different continent (Kinealy, 2011). The new immigrants had restricted autonomy in their own country but were hesitant to support abolition.
The first secondary source for review is the book Abolition, Irish Freedom, and Immigrant Citizenship: American Slavery and the Rise and Fall of the American Associations for Irish Repeal by Murphy. Murphy (2006) reviews the reasons behind the Irish hesitance regarding slavery abolition in this publication. This source is directly related to the investigated topic and presents an in-depth look into the issue. The next secondary source is an article by Kinealy, “The Irish Abolitionist: Daniel O’Connell.” In this article, the author talks about a famous Irish abolitionist and his connection to the history of Irish immigration and slavery in America.
The primary sources include books written after the peak of immigration and during the fight against slavery. The first book was written by O’Connell (1860) – it contains his opinion on slavery and its connection to Irish freedom. The second book is by Maguire (1867), where the author talks about the issues surrounding Irish immigrants in the US. These two sources present Irish people’s contemporary opinions, making them essential primary sources.
Based on the sources, the research question concerns the Irish immigrants’ input into slavery abolition in America and why immigrants often did not support abolition. The audience interested in this topic includes young Americans learning about immigration and slavery, as this discussion often touches upon many people’s ancestral history. For the audience to understand this research question better, one has to explain the history of Ireland, the factors that affected people’s decision to emigrate, and their complex history of independence. No specific terminology is related to this topic, and the audience should be acquainted with many events described in the research.
References
Kinealy, C. (2011). The Irish Abolitionist: Daniel O’Connell. Irish America.
Maguire, J. F. (1867). The Irish in America (4th ed.). D. & J. Sadlier & Company.
Murphy, A. (2006). Abolition, Irish freedom, and immigrant citizenship: American slavery and the rise and fall of the American associations for Irish repeal. University of Houston.
O’Connell, D. (1860). Daniel O’Connell upon American slavery: With other Irish testimonies. American Anti-Slavery Society.