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American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Irish Immigration and Industrialization in Holyoke, MA

Irish Immigration and Industrialization in Holyoke, MA

Details

Author
Deborah Vanderpoel
Topic/Subject Area
Immigration
Historical Era
The New Nation, 1784–1815, National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860, Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877, Rise of Industrial America, 1878–1899, Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2012
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that there was a valid reason why so many Irish people immigrated to the Holyoke, Massachusetts area. Yet, students will also see the hardships and struggles this group of immigrants faced in hopes of a better life. They will analyze the given primary sources to make a conclusion as to whether they feel the Irish immigration to America, specifically Holyoke, was a successful venture for these individuals.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items
Websites

Teaching Plan

  1. Read to students Dreaming of America: An Ellis Island Story, by Eve Bunting. The class discusses the events in the story and may make connections to the Pilgrims’ voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World as they left families behind too, for a better life in America. On the classroom map, show students where Ellis Island would be located in relationship to Massachusetts.
  2. The students are paired up to read “State of Irish Poor” from the “Collection Items” section above and will discuss their findings. What was life like in Ireland in the mid-1800’s? What caused the Irish to leave their homeland? Were there dangers associated with this departure?
  3. Students look at the “At Work” primary source that shows immigrants from Ireland building a dam on the Connecticut River for water-power use. Ask the students whether this looks like physically demanding work. After reading the caption, pose the questions: What surprised you about this photograph? Is this easy work? What tells you about the type of work the men are doing? Next, show students the postcard “Holyoke Dam, Holyoke, Mass.” that shows the finished dam in use on the Connecticut River. What reaction do they have to this finished image after seeing the first one above? Make a word splash on a flip chart paper to show students’ thoughts about this monstrous dam built by Irish immigrants.
  4. Each student will write a letter to a relative taking an Irish immigrant’s perspective. In the letter, they will state their concerns about traveling to America and what they will sacrifice and hope to gain by taking this risk. Students will share their letters on later days of this unit. Letters will be posted on a classroom bulletin board titled, “Irish Immigrants in our Area.”
  5. Extension activity: Using the SmartBoard and Internet capabilities, show students examples of waterpower on YouTube (see website link). This provides an example of how waterpower made machines work for a specific purpose, in this case, cutting wood.
  6. Extension activity: The class will do a reading of the article in the collection titled, “Immigrant Sweat Built Paper City.” Each student will read aloud a paragraph. Ask them how they feel about this newspaper writer giving the Irish immigrants credit for being a driving force in making “Paper City” a booming industrial center.
  7. Extension activity: Teacher will bring in various cloth samples, showing the variety used for textiles. Give students a chance to see and feel each sample. Show them the “Cloth from the Mill” advertisement from the Ridgewood Mills in Holyoke that suggests this mill gives you “more for your money.” Teacher makes a tally chart to show how many students like each type of cloth. Tell the students that the silk was a popular material used by the Skinner Mill in Holyoke.
  8. Extension activity for local classes: Class will take a trip to the Holyoke Heritage Park and the Skinner Museum. While at the park, students see first hand how the dam and canal system caused mills to be powered. They walk along the water to see the canal and waterway. At Wistariahurst Museum the docents offer students a tour of the Skinner mansion. The students see the servant quarters and how the “boss” of the immigrants lived.