" the reversal breaks with previous decades of Irish immigration to the United States, one of the oldest, largest, most sustained and most culturally influential migration flows of American history -- reaching nearly a million in the 1850's after the Irish potato famine, but dwindling lately to just a few thousand a year" (Allen, The New York Times, May 31, 1998).
One of the factors that lead the Irish to immigrate to America was the deadly potato famine that began in 1846 and killed over 1 million Irish people. The famine lasted from 1846 to 1850 and forced many Irish to leave flee their country. They left Ireland in search of food, land, and salvation from the plight they were facing in their homeland. It was a very sad and difficult period for the Irish people. Not only did they lose loved ones, but they also lost their homeland. Sadly, however, the Irish people were enduring harsh and unjust treatment way before the potato famine began. The Irish were under the wrath of the British, who grossly disregarded and abused them. They are responsible for killing thousands of Irishmen by forcing them into poverty. The Irish were disgustingly over-taxed by their British masters, and were considered as less than human and unworthy of fair and equal rights. Many Irish citizens had their property taken away by greedy British soldiers who invaded their land and took what they wanted from the Irish people. This unofficial "Invasion of the British- began towards the 12th century and eventually set off an anti-Irish Catholic campaign in Ireland.
It began when British King Henry II used a falsely signed document from the Pope that sanctioned the invasion of the British. This was very disconcerting to the Irish people, especially since most were Catholics and very devoted to the Pope. Their disbelief turned to disgust and angst when King Henry II returned to England and claimed himself the ruler of Ireland.