The following is a product of Student Section 3 of the Immigrant Unit. In this section, we learned what happened to the American dreams of the Ryan family ten years after they disembarked Boston in 1840.

Ryan Family Realities

After arriving in Boston, the Ryans found America to be very different than they had anticipated. It took many weeks for them to find a decent home that had fair rent rates. Finding a well paying job was twice as difficult. Many ads included the phrase “No Irish need apply”; this devastated the Ryan family who expected fair treatment.

Ryan Family Realities, II

After finally finding a home and jobs for the entire family the Ryans faced an even more difficult obstacle: Their neighbors and the people of the city despised them for their Irish ethnicity. This came as a slap in the face; their dream was to be treated as equals in America. Individual Dreams: Were their hopes and dreams shattered, or were they fulfilled? Catholicism in America The Irish Catholics found that the were as despised in America as the were in Ireland. Many of the people who first settled in America were fleeing the Catholics and did not take kindly to their presence in America.

Our Home

The Ryan family found a seven room home to rent in Charleston for $10.00 per week. It is located on a quiet street and also has its own stable. It is an old house and not in very good repair. They share a bathroom with another family.

Jobs & Their Problems

Matt & Patt Ryan decided that the best jobs for them would be to work as railroad construction workers down in Kentucky. Of course this meant splitting apart form the rest of the family, but after seeing how the Irish were treated in Boston, it wasn’t as a hard of a decision to leave. As Kentucky was still a pioneer state, the Irish were treated much better there. They received $1.75 a day each as pay.

Jobs & Their Problems, II

Mary Ryan was able to live her dream of becoming a teacher in America. But because she absolutely refused to teach the Protestant Bible, she taught at a private Catholic school in Cambridge. She made $3.50 a day there with $2.00 sacrificed to transportation. Jobs & Their

Problems,III

Bridgett Ryan got a job as a hat maker. Needless to say, she works long, hard hours receiving $1.50 per day with $1.00 of it going to transportation. John, James, & Michael Ryan, SR. all worked as overseers. This caused tension between them and the employees, as well as with the other overseers. You see, it was uncommon for Irishman to hold positions of authority. This caused tension with the other overseers who did not like to think of an Irishman holding the same status as they did. It also caused tension with some of the American employees who did not approve of being ordered around by an Irishman. Catherine Ryan got a job working as a factory worker. She worked difficult hours in unsafe conditions. Her parents, however believed that it would be better for her to work four days a week and contribute to the family dream of owning land, than to have to pay for a Catholic education.

Jobs & Their Problems, IV

Michael Ryan, JR. got a job working at a paper mill five days a week. He received ninety cents a day for his labors. Sarah & Ellen Ryan both got jobs as seamstresses working out of their home. They sometimes work up to thirteen hours a day and only receive their thirty cents a day if no faults are found in their work.

The Schooling Dilemma

Two of our children, Ellen,12,&Michael,JR.,13, are still in need of completion of schooling. However, we do not have the funds to send them to private Catholic schools, so they will work for five days a week. On Saturdays, Mary will help them complete the rest of their education.

Women in America

Women did not gain as many rights as they hoped in America. While they did have more job opportunities they were not allowed to own property and were merely thought if as extensions of their family. The women who did work often returned from their jobs to do housework and take care of their families. They were allowed to marry anyone who would marry them, but to wed an Irishman dowry was still required.

Michael Ryan Sr.

While he did find a fairly good job, by no means was it a job that made him a fortune. He is also falling apart under the pressure to keep his family together. He spends most of his time after work at the pub.

Sarah Ryan

Mrs. Ryan faced devastation in America; her youngest son, James, who was only three years old, died upon their arrival in America. Her husband did get a good job. None of her daughters were married.

Catherine Ryan

She no longer was a pawn for her father’s will. She is currently courting a man of her own choice named Oscar. Who is, ironically an English sailor; her parents are not happy about this.

John Ryan

He was freed from the grip of greedy British landlords. However, he did not make his fortune, nor was he allowed justice and equality in America.

Bridgett Ryan

Bridgett did not get married, nor did she start a family of her own. She also did not own her own house with a grand kitchen.

James Ryan

James Ryan dreamed of being able to practice his Catholic religion without pressure from Protestants. However in America he still was chastised for his faith. He had dreamed that when he had children they would be able to get a good Catholic education; now this will only happen if he can pay for private schooling.

Patt Ryan

Right after the Ryans landed in Boston, he and his brother moved to Kentucky to work as Railroad construction workers. We haven’t heard from them since. Matt Ryan Right after the Ryans landed in Boston, he and his brother moved to Kentucky to work as Railroad construction workers. We haven’t heard from them since.

Mary Ryan

Mary did become a teacher in America. She did not, however, get married or have children. She was also devastated to find that Americans treated the Irish no better than the English.

Michael Ryan Jr.

Michael did not get any of his own land. He is able though to work as paper mill worker and contribute to his family's goal of saving up to one day buy land He is not living in nobility, but is free for the most part.

Ellen Ryan

Ellen did not get married as of yet. She is still faced with the problem of having enough dowry, if she chooses to marry an Irishman. If she chooses to marry a man of another ethnicity she will not have a dowry problem.
 
 
 

Copyright 1999 Anson, Natalie, & Kelly
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