Background



** Setting: ** ** Ellis Island New York, New York (1850) **

** Why? ** We immigrated to this country due to the Great Potato Famine starting in 1845. The wages we were earning in the old world were far less what we could be earning in America so we decided to make the voyage.

** What Problems Were Faced? ** Unfortunately most of our family had suffered from [|typhus] on the voyage over and we had to struggle to overcome the epidemic. Off the boat “[|Runners]” met us speaking Gaelic and making promises to help us with food and lodging while we were new to the city.

** Housing? ** What we were offered were over crowded boarding houses stacked three or four times higher then they ever had to be. Forced tight quarters with 8 or 10 other individuals we fought for comfort and resisted the pests that infested the walls. The little money we did have we struggled to pay the bills.