US Immigration 1800s

Steerage deck of ocean steamer passing the Statue of Liberty: Sketch by Staff Artist from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper: July 2, 1887.

People looked for opportunities elsewhere when land ownership in their native country became difficult, governments were oppressive, when facing religious persecution, with food scarcity, or when they couldn't support themselves and their families.¹

Ireland had a severe famine, often called the "Great Hunger." It began with potato blight, but influenced by Political Maneuvers. Crops from their own island were shipped to England, regardless of Ireland's need. Desperate victims, approximately one million, died during the mid 1800s.

English Periodical With Racist Cartoon Ridicules the Irish

Millions of Irish immigrants came to America in the 1800s. Once landed on the East coast many came West to escape extreme discrimination. Its origin was from British traditions in their native land, from British Isles immigrants. Continuing in Eastern American cities that the Irish tried adopting as their own.

Many came to mining camps, hoping that discrimination wouldn't follow them West. Irish were part of Tombstone's population.

Some were recent Irish 1800s immigrants to the U.S., others were second generation. They held strong connections to their "mother country." This support system helped withstand discrimination and improve their own lives in their new country. A part of that was boosting Ireland's organizations:

• Irish Land League - Local organization, a branch of that in Ireland. They sponsored events at the Tombstone Driving Park. Typically Irish festivals.

Ned McGowan

• Ned McGowan - A Crazy Career: the Notorious!?
• Edward "Ned" was born in Philadelphia of Irish parents. Growing up there, became a lawyer and got into politics. Controversial pretty much immediately. With a temper, was in a knife fight in the state legislature! People also said he was quite the gregarious personality!
• Ned McGowan (no apparent relation to us, by the way!) went West to California. Was continually at odds with a vigilante committee running San Francisco. Eventually he fled the area, to British Columbia, East of Vancouver.
• Still controversial! Some SF Vigilance Committee members were there and continued feuding with him. Area native peoples, miners, Royal troops and local politicians all became involved. Provoking racial and international tensions.
• McGowan led friends into brawls, with opposition instigated by the vigilantes. The event known as McGowan's War: not a gunshot fired, eventually settled in court! 
• Ned left B.C. in February 1859, lived in Tombstone AZ by mid-July, 1882. Becoming a well-known local. In September 1882 he was requested to second a duel between newspaper editors, one at the Epitaph. Dr. Goodfellow came along for treatment as necessary. A dispute about chosen firearms deactivated the plan, and the duel was nastily canceled on-site!
• He worked awhile in the Oriental Saloon on Allen Street, as a Faro Gambling look-out. During one game, a player shot another. Ned saw the whole thing. He ended up testifying at the trial.
• In early 1884 Ned received a Federal appointment in Washington DC. He returned to California in mid 1889. Ned met a sad end. Dying in San Francisco at St. Mary's Hospital, at age 84. He's buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.

The Daily Tombstone - Friday, June 4, 1886 - Pg. 1

The Chinese population mainly kept to themselves, in their own community. Chinatown was contained in a few blocks. Almost to Fremont south to Toughnut, from around 1st to 3rd Streets. However, there were numerous Chinese immigrants who lived throughout other areas of the Tombstone vicinity.

Commercial interests sought Chinese labor to work the mines and railroads. Many Asians also farmed and sold vegetables to area markets. Some worked as cooks and household domestics. They opened laundries.

Local residents were suspicious of this unique group, with customs that seemed odd. Some local Tombstone residents even formed an "Anti-Chinese League" - which put pressure on businesses to rid Tombstone of the "yellow peril." Boycotting those using Chinese. It also instigated some violent incidents.

The contractor building the Courthouse in Tombstone began using four Chinese brick-makers. The League was outraged, demanding explanation. The contractor did: we "could not get white labor to do the same kind of work. The white men habitually worked a day or two and quit."^6,13

But the anti-Chinese sentiment got support with the government's Chinese immigration act: the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Naturalization of Chinese already in the U.S. became illegal. An effect was a cut-off of further Chinese immigrants to America for the next 61 years!¹¹

Even so, some Tombstone Chinese in town succeeded, and became respected. Well known was China Mary - Mary Sing. Also Can Can restaurant manager, Quong Gu Kee. Both are buried at Boothill.

Sol Israel, a Jewish immigrant: Weekly Epitaph Sat., Oct. 1, 1887 - Pg 3

Jews also immigrated, to escape religious persecution in Eastern Europe. After arriving in the U.S., some came West.

Fred Harvey was ahead of his time in hiring practices when beginning his hotel/restaurant chain that followed stops on the Santa Fe railroad in the 1800s. Two of his prized employees were Jewish.¹²

A small Jewish population came to the Old West, settling in Tombstone Arizona.⁶

Jews also immigrated to various other booming towns in the West, to have the chance to develop opportunities available. Many have descendants active in those towns til this day.