Bill Clinton

“ The story of the Irish in America, of those millions of Americans who trace their ancestry back to the Emerald Isle, is typical of so many American immigrants, yet is also uniquely influenced by the rich culture of Ireland. Like so many of our forebears, they came to this land seeking a better future. In the process of becoming Americans, they changed themselves, changed America, and changed the world. ”

“ However, it was not until the great potato famine of the late 1840s that the trickle of Irish immigration became a flood. More than one million Irish men and women came to the United States during that period. ”

“ They fought bravely in the American Revolution and helped to establish a new Nation. Eight signatories of the Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin. In the early years of the young Republic, as workers on the canals and railroads, they played a major role in the settlement of the West. ”