Landlords of those sickened Irish were quick to evict hundreds of thousands of peasants, who then were moved into crowded warehouses with other with similar afflictions. Some wealthier landlords were benevolent enough to pay for their tenants to emigrate to America and other English speaking countries. Many Irish boarded cotton ships headed for America and while a few were fortunate enough to pay for their own passages. The trip over was dangerous and many perished on the trip over journey. Others were separated from their families, sometimes parents sent for their children later, which resulted in a tragic number of "lost children" . After arriving in America, immigrants competed with African immigrants for the worst jobs but conditions here were better than back in Ireland.
When the Irish Arrived in America they were not greeted with open arms and handed jobs like they had been to believe. When they arrived in Boston, as in other cities, they were forced to stay "with there own kind". They were forced to live with other people from their villages back in Ireland or with other Irish immigrants. .
After settling in to their new homes they did anything for food or money. Many Americans were pushed out of jobs by large groups of Irish immigrants in need of work. Americans resented the Irish and resented they ever came. The Irish faced many forms of discrimination. One form used to hinder their entry were strict medical exams, which if they did not pass they would be sent back to Ireland. They would return home, receive medical attention and try the difficult journey again. .
When trying to find jobs the Irish were faced with quite a lot of discrimination. Shopkeepers hung sings in there windows that read, "Irish need not apply" which made the Irish feel like giving up but they displayed one of their well known characteristics of a tenacious hard headed people. With out them doing that forty three million Irish would not be here today.