American and Irish repudiation of O’Connell coincided with abandoning antislavery

Evidence

The American Eagle speech had led to the dissolution of the Repeal Associations in Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia, and in New Orleans. Robert Tyler, by then President of the Philadelphia Repeal Association, appealed to American Repealers to stay together, declaring that O’Connell’s opinions did not represent the feeling of Ireland. The open repudiation of O’Connell in America coincided with the revolt against his leadership in Ireland itself. There the opposition was led by Young Ireland, and its organ, the Nation. Rejecting O’Connell’s pro-British policy, Young Ireland adopted an ultra-American stance, which led it to abandon agitation of the slavery question. — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 124

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s overall question: Irish Americans chose white-supremacist alliance over solidarity with both Black slaves and Irish anti-imperial radicalism. — connects to: Pro-slavery Irish Americans argued Irish peasants were worse off than American slaves — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 87; Even O’Connell rebuked Irish immigrants who romanticized Southern slave conditions — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 89; O’Connell threatened to strip American Irishmen of Irish identity if they tolerated slavery — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 99 (+9 more)

Broader Connections

• Irish nationalists sought proslavery credentials to enter the American mainstream #corroborates (0.88) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 81
• Irish-American leaders feared losing native acceptance if O’Connell attacked slavery. #expands (0.85) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 44
• The Irish moved from an oppressed Irish race to an oppressing American race #expands (0.80) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 31
• Arriving in America corrupted the Irish into racial prejudice #qualifies (0.75) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 7