Antebellum Irish and blacks shared social, criminal, and religious life

Evidence

The interaction between Irishand Afro-Americans was not limited to sexual affairs: in New Orleans Irish moved into the black district, and frequented “Black Rookeries.” Irish grocers regularly received stolen sugar and flour brought to them by slaves, and sold them liquor, etc. In one case that came before a Philadelphia court, a white man charged two Negroes with stealing his money. His testimony revealed that the three were friends and had been drinking together at a Fourth Street oyster cellar. Nor did the crossing over always take place under hellish circumstances; heaven had its turn as well: the Twelfth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia was presided over after 1837 by an Afro-American minister; baptismal records for the next twenty years suggest that one-third of the members were Irish. — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 149

Categorization

• XREF: Contradicts the standard image of primordial Irish-black hostility; supports the reader’s comparison that racial reclassification is constructed, not fixed. — connects to: Irish and free Blacks shared a common lowly culture before the Irish became white — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 34; Irish immigrants initially lived intimately alongside Black Americans in shared districts — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 146; Irish and Black families originally shared proximate poverty and mutual care — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 459 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Irish and free Blacks shared a common lowly culture before the Irish became white #expands (0.95) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 34
• Irish immigrants initially lived intimately alongside Black Americans in shared districts #exemplifies (0.93) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 146
• Irish and Black families originally shared proximate poverty and mutual care #expands (0.88) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 459
• Irish immigrants were visually distinguishable by dress like free blacks #expands (0.78) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 56