The Famine Immigrants

The Irish potato famine struck Ireland in the winter of 1845–46, forcing thousands of citizens to leave their homeland in search of food and a better life.  This began the first mass movement of a single people to the United States. Between the years of 1846 and 1851 more than a million Irishmen and their families migrated to the U.S. and Canada, mostly through the port of New York. The Famine Immigrants is a seven-volume set of books covering this period of migration. Information found within the pages of these wonderful resource books are names of ships, names of passengers, biographical information on each listing, occupations, dates, and more. Each volume includes a surname index, making research faster and easier. If you have Irish ancestors who were affected by the potato famine and you have reason to believe they may have immigrated between 1846 and 1851, you will definitely want to search through The Famine Immigrants books. You just may find a missing link in your Irish ancestry.   This set of books is available in our historic Illinois Room.  (IR 929.30899162073 FAM) PB