Irish immigrants were victims of racism not so long ago

A cartoon from the 1850s by the "Know-Nothings" accusing the Irish and German immigrants of negatively affecting an election.

This cartoon contrasts Florence Nightingale, the Civil War nurse, with "Bridget McBruiser", the stereotypical Irish woman.

 If I'm not mistaken, the average life span of a black male slave in America during the mid 19th century was about 50 years old. But the average life span of an Irish male laborer in America at that time was under 35 years of age. 

White Irish were often used for hard dangerous work that were estimated to cost many lives to complete, such as the Erie Canal. Contracts were sent to black Slave plantations for labor, and were refused on account that the work was too brutal and dangerous for their slaves. In one case the reply was, "The work is much too harsh for our Negroes. Let the Irish do it." http://www.amazon.co...aves in America