148 THE ROARING FORTIES 



food-laden ships testified to the impression 

 made by the pitiable sufferings of the afflicted 

 people. Then came the great movement of 

 the stricken Irish to the land of plenty. While 

 the South and the West watched with all-ab 

 sorbing interest the gleams of smudgy glory 

 from the war in Mexico, the eastern ports of 

 the United States gave attention to the dismal 

 myriads of half-starved Celts that poured in 

 from distracted Erin. Economic, social, and 

 political problems of many kinds promptly ap 

 peared in connection with the influx of aliens 

 that assumed vast proportions first in 1847. 

 The Irish were but the largest element in the 

 immigration. Germans in large numbers also 

 fled from the pinch of the potato famine. It 

 was through the Irish, however, that a new and 

 most important element was introduced into 

 the relations among the English-speaking peo 

 ples. Canada and the other British provinces 

 in America received no insignificant share of 

 the immigration, with results that soon made 

 themselves noticeable. Full half a century was 

 destined to elapse before the impulse first given 

 by the famine in Ireland ceased to be easily 

 distinguishable among the factors determining 

 Anglo-American relations. 



