The Paddy Camps. The Irish of Lowell 1821-61

About this book

Disdained by many Yankee residents as Catholic lowlifes the growing Irish population of the Lowell Massachusetts "paddy camps" in the nineteenth century proved a tempting source of cheap labor for local mill owners who took advantage of the immigrants proximity to exploit them to the fullest. Displaced by their cheaper labor other workers blamed the Irish for job losses and added to their plight through repression and segregation. Now in paperback and featuring a new preface Brian C. Mitchells "The Paddy Camps" demonstrates how the Irish community in Lowell overcame adversity to develop strong religious institutions an increased political presence and a sense of common traditions.