The American Irish Experience

Compiled by AIHS California Branch founder Frank McGinity, this volume serves as a repository of speeches and articles exploring the lives of famous Irishmen and women throughout history. In addition, this book highlights the renowned and lesser-known Irish immigrants who impacted the American experience in California and beyond, such as: John MacKay, who fled the famine in Ireland, escaped the slums of New York City, hiked a hundred miles across the Sierras and became one of the richest gold miners in the west; Nicholas Den, who saved the Santa Barbara Mission from being secularized and sold off by the Mexican government; and the San Patricio Battalion soldiers, who deserted the U.
S. Army in 1846 to join with Mexico and fight against the tide of American expansionism. Whether or not Irish blood runs thick in your veins, if you seek a richer understanding of the multicultural tapestry of our nation, read on and marvel at the unique influence of The Emerald Isle.