Pro-slavery Irish Americans argued Irish peasants were worse off than American slaves

Evidence

It then added a new argument: while deprecating the institution of slavery, it noted that the slaves were “not only happier than the emancipated blacks in the free States, but thousands of nominally freemen in England and misgoverned Ireland would gladly exchange places with them.” — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 87

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Irish peasants emigrated under conditions comparable to American slavery — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 32; Pro-slavery sentiment moved from America back into Irish nationalism — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 126; Abolitionists courted the Irish as fellow laborers against slavery — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 55 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Irish peasants emigrated under conditions comparable to American slavery #corroborates (0.90) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 32
• Boston Irish publicly repudiated O’Connell’s antislavery stand to embrace slavery’s defenders #exemplifies (0.85) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 120
• Southern slaveholders courted Irish immigrants by contrasting Southern hospitality with Northern anti-Irish prejudice #expands (0.82) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 87
• American and Irish repudiation of O’Connell coincided with abandoning antislavery #exemplifies (0.82) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 124
• Abolitionists courted the Irish as fellow laborers against slavery #complicates (0.80) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 55
• The Irish freedom struggle made common cause with American slaveholders. #expands (0.80) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 75
• Irish nationalists used internal abolitionist disputes to distance themselves from antislavery #exemplifies (0.80) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 90
• Pro-slavery sentiment moved from America back into Irish nationalism #expands (0.78) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 126