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Leaving Ireland
With the potato famine killing millions of people, it left me my only choice of immigrating to America.The disaster killed my family, leaving me alone and scared. I have no food, money, or much clothing. If I don’t immigrate now, I could die from starvation. I have a cousin, Andrew, who I was planning to meet in America. By going, he will be the only family I have left. -
Settling in America
When I arrived in America I was left with no money. Andrew and I are forced to stay in a tenement filled with 20 other people. Tenements are apartment-like buildings under very poor and harsh conditions. Tenements have no running water, which led us to get our water from the streets. Diseases started to spread in a blink of an eye. Andrew quickly became sick. I am doing my best to take care of him but little improvement is showing. -
Finding a Job
We both needed to find jobs to raise money for two train tickets to the west and two horses. Nobody would hire Irish immigrants, so it is very hard to find a job. After about a week, a wealthy family hired me to be their maid. Even though they treated me unfairly, and paid me low wages I kept the job until I had enough money for two train tickets and two horses. After about a year, Andrew I had saved up enough money and planned how to get to the west. -
The Free Land
The promise of free land in the west instantly got our attention. We got onto a train headed west for our independence, freedom, and the opportunity of a new life. We have heard of the land there, It has rich soil and plenty of land for farming crops on. When the Homestead Act was established, we agreed to improve the land for at least five years. As soon as we got of the train, we went to the nearest farm to get two horses. Once we got them, we were finally ready to get our land. -
Con. Racing for Land
...had shot Andrew's horse. Andrew immediately fell to the ground. I tried rushing to his side as fast as I could, but it was too late. Andrew had been trampled by the other horses behind him. I couldn't get to him without getting trampled also, so I had to leave him knowing he wouldn't make it. -
Racing for Land
While on our horses with the flag in Andrew's hand, we are lined at the starting point to get our land. I could hardly hear Andrew as he's talking to me, everyone is yelling, awaiting the exciting moment. Bam! The gun was shot and everyone was off. Almost instantly, people were fighting. Andrew and I quickly passed by one of the incidents near us but I was too late. Someone... -
Life in the West
After racing for the land and Andrew's death, I had tried finding land to grow crops on. I saw this one family with their land and talked to them for awhile. I had told them the story of Andrew and they asked me if I wanted to help raise their farm with them. I was so thankful because I knew I couldn't raise a farm by myself. After a couple of years we had planted so many crops. The family was nice to me, and I had finally gotten my freedom and indepence I had hoped and believed for.
