Irish Immigrants in 1860 Savannah, Georgia.
Abstract
Looking through census records, it is noted that when an immigrant is recorded, it only makes mention of the country of birth. However, the census taker in 1860 recorded the county as well as the country of birth. This leads to an interesting development in regards as it now allows researchers to locate which specific areas of a country immigrants are coming from. Within this paper, the area of focus is the 1860 Census in Savannah, Georgia. Given the year, there is a clear indicator that immigrants would have left counties that were heavily affected by the Irish Potato Famine. What is to be explored is specific counties immigrants are coming from, the ability to read and write, and personal and real estate values, what is their occupation, ages, and furthermore what are the attitudes that the local population had to these immigrants. Irish immigrants in other areas of the United States faced discrimination based on that factor, but is that the same expectation in Savannah? What factors would have changed the experience of Irish immigrants and what was their treatment like compared to other regions of the United States? These are all questions to be explored with this paper as research through census records continues.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 10:00 AM
Room Number
272
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Research-in-Progress
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Adler
Irish Immigrants in 1860 Savannah, Georgia.
272
Looking through census records, it is noted that when an immigrant is recorded, it only makes mention of the country of birth. However, the census taker in 1860 recorded the county as well as the country of birth. This leads to an interesting development in regards as it now allows researchers to locate which specific areas of a country immigrants are coming from. Within this paper, the area of focus is the 1860 Census in Savannah, Georgia. Given the year, there is a clear indicator that immigrants would have left counties that were heavily affected by the Irish Potato Famine. What is to be explored is specific counties immigrants are coming from, the ability to read and write, and personal and real estate values, what is their occupation, ages, and furthermore what are the attitudes that the local population had to these immigrants. Irish immigrants in other areas of the United States faced discrimination based on that factor, but is that the same expectation in Savannah? What factors would have changed the experience of Irish immigrants and what was their treatment like compared to other regions of the United States? These are all questions to be explored with this paper as research through census records continues.