Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan: Letters and Memoirs from Colonial and Revolutionary America, 1675-1815 (Paperback)

~ Kerby A. Miller (Editor), Arnold Schrier (Editor), Bruce D. Boling (Editor), David N. Doyle (Editor) "A singular feature or the history of Irish emigration to North America is that many of the first emigrants' immediate ancestors had only recently moved..." (more)
Key Phrases: transposed spelling, flaxseed trade, linen triangle, South Carolina, United Irishmen, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Destined to become a classic in the field of American immigration history.... It has set a new standard for the study of Atlantic migration, and is already an invaluable resource for historians."--Kevin Kenny, Irish Historical Studies
"For scholars in American and Irish Cultural Studies, this impressive and brilliantly interpreted compilation of letters and memoirs is surely of paramount importance, as it presents both a minute and comprehensive account of the reasons of Irish emigration to the 'promised land' across the Atlantic and of the settlers' experience there; but it is lf interest also to historians and linguists who wish to examine a corpus of authentic letters and memoirs of Irish immigrants of various social classes and age groups from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth century. Finally, for the common (American) reader, the texts can help to do away with the widespread mistaken belief that the immigrants were almost exclusively Catholic papers of Celtic origin, who were forced by bloodsucking Protestant landlords of English descent to leave the Emerald Isle."--Amerikastudien
"At first glance, Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan appears to be a rather standard, albeit lengthy, primary source collection of mostly personal letters, along with journal excerpts and a handful of public documents, that have been gathered together to reveal the tremendous variation in the life experiences of sixty-eight Irish immigrants to early America. As one reads more deeply in this collection, it is evident that the authors intend this book to be much more than a standard documentary reader. Rather, this work sets out to coney a more comprehensive history of early Irish immigrants' social, economic, religious, and political experiences in Ireland and America before 1815. An immensely important and intellectually rich work in Irish, American, and Atlantic history." --The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
"Exquisitely produced by Oxford University Press and elaborately edited by four senior scholars, this long anticipated volume...is a monument to years of exacting detective and analytical work and to the craft of editing historical documents...."--Reviews in American History
"Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan is a monumental achievement. Historians of early modern Ireland, colonial America, and the British Atlantic world now have at their disposal a rich resourcethat they can dip into time and time again to gain a more intimate understanding of what it meant to navigate the difficult shoals between the Old and New worlds."--H-Net
"one of the most significant volumes to appear on the theme of Irish emigration, Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan - may well be seen in future to be as much of a landmark publication in our understanding of transatlantic migration as was Miller's Emigrants and Exiles "-- Familia
"There is so much more to be grateful for in this splendid book, which brings the human story of migration across the Atlantic so powerfully alive...an invaluable account of one of the most complex periods of migration in the Irish diaspora."--The Australian Journal of Irish Studies
"Deftly arranged and skillfully annotated..."--CHOICE
"History at its most intimate....a groundbreaking study of early Irish (Protestant and Catholic) immigration to America." --Irish Voice
"This is the most vivid and moving collection of letters and memoirs concerning any immigrant group to mainland North America during the Colonial and Early National periods. The documents are intelligently organized and brilliantly contextualized. Altogether it is a glorious achievement."--Nicholas Canny, National University of Ireland, Galway
"Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan is sure to become a major landmark, setting an exemplary standard for study of both Irish-American history and American immigration and ethnic history more generally. The documents are elegantly presented, extensively annotated, and framed by contextual and biographical essays that wonderfully illuminate the rich humanity of the migrant experience."--Kevin Kenny, Boston College
"An indispensable and inexhaustible treasure-trove for the student of not only emigration from Ireland to America, but of emigration in general, and of culture contact in the Atlantic world in particular."-Joe Lee, Glucksman Ireland House, New York University
"This book's stunning richness in original letters and memoirs is both broad and intimate, covering all of the 18th century migrations as well as offering unprecedented closeness to the words and experiences of the emigrants. Creatively edited and annotated by some of the finest scholars in the field, it is a masterwork and is bound to become an indispensable companion to all research and teaching of the subject."-Robert Scally, New York University
"A monumental work of meticulous scholarship."--Kevin Whelan, Keough-Notre Dame Centre, Dublin

Product Description

Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan is a monumental and pathbreaking study of early Irish Protestant and Catholic migration to America. Through exhaustive research and sensitive analyses of the letters, memoirs, and other writings, the authors describe the variety and vitality of early Irish immigrant experiences, ranging from those of frontier farmers and seaport workers to revolutionaries and loyalists. Largely through the migrants own words, it brings to life the networks, work, and experiences of these immigrants who shaped the formative stages of American society and its Irish communities. The authors explore why Irishmen and women left home and how they adapted to colonial and revolutionary America, in the process creating modern Irish and Irish-American identities on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; annotated edition edition (March 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195154894
• ISBN-13: 978-0195154894
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #667,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)