When thousands of Irish immigrants arrived in New York City in the middle of the 19th century fleeing famine and hardship, they were not received with open arms. Instead, many Americans viewed Irish newcomers as a people radically different from themselves and potentially unassimilable. This talk will consider the previously underappreciated roles that illness and manual labor played in negative stereotypes of the Irish– how Irish bodies manifesting visible symptoms of sickness and alterations from hard work and injuries were interpreted as proof of Irish difference. It will also show how archaeological and documentary records, when used together, reveal that some Irish immigrants utilized relatively ordinary things (such as weeds, patent medicines, cosmetics, and clothing) to attempt the extraordinary actions of healing and refashioning themselves.

Prof. Linn‘s Bio:

https://www.bgc.bard.edu/people/170/meredith-b-linn