Irish insults against native-born

[Hank Trent]

It's not hard to find insults and slurs that native-born Americans used against the Irish in the 1850s-1860s.

But what insulting names did Irish immigrants use for native-born Americans? I'm thinking particularly in the Know-Nothing era when the hatred was highest, there must have been something inflammatory.

What I keep running into are things like Paddy's Lament, supposedly written from an Irish view but actually designed to make fun of the Irish. So the insults against the non-Irish are kept mild. In that song, "The imp they called 'Sam' wid his beggary crew" is as bad as it gets, and the Know Nothings themselves adopted the nickname Sam, as far as I know. Or "ignorant boobies"--that's got to sting. Unless it was a stronger insult then than now.

So what would an Irishman have said, to really get under the skin of a native?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Jubilo]

Dear Mr. Trent ,
I think the worst thing any immigrant could have said to a Know-Nothing was " Hello , I've just arrived . " Even Thoreau was critical of the Irish immigrants . " Several soldiers write of anti-American bias while serving in primarily Irish immigrant regiments and Meagher , Cochran , Mulligan and Mitchell , et. al. , certainly had agendas that were not in American interests . In spite of this we know that most immigrants joined non-ethnic units and served their new country with pride and honor.
all for the old flag ,
David Corbett

[lukegilly13]

My first thought would be religion....could there been a popular period teasing that catholics hurled at protestants?

[hpotter]

Irish catholics would often call protestants "Orangemen" when speaking about them in a negative manner.

[Benedict]

Irish catholics would often call protestants "Orangemen" when speaking about them in a negative manner.

I wonder if American protestants would have understood this allusion, except those of protestant Irish origin.

[Horace]

'Narrowback' was a derogatory slang word used by Irish immigrants to mean a native born white American- an Anglo/protestant in particular, as I understand it. Narrowback; connoting that such people were weak and unaccustomed to manual work.

[EVOC]

Here are a few insults in Irish Gaellic, so they must be ancient and available for addressing people near and far, including 19th century Americans. Enjoy.


Go mbí do chaolán amuigh agat

May your intestines hang out (of your anus)

Go mbí scian id shúilibh is dealg úcaire id thóin thiar

A knife in you eye and a thorny fishspike in you anus

Míola id chraiceann is gearb ar do ghabhal

Lice on you skin and scabs on your crotch

Nár éirí sé dhuit

May you not be able to achieve an erection.

[MBBursig]

Generally, my research in the ACW deals with immigrants (German and Irish), and I did some considerable research on the pre-Know Nothing era (Mexican War specifically) when I wrote my undergrad thesis on German immigrants in the Mexican War.

It is odd to say, but I came across all but no names/insults towards the native-born from the immigrants. Granted this doesn't mean it didn't exist. The Germans probably had something in their vernacular, just as the Irish did in their Gaelic. What was it though? "American", "Native", and even "Know Nothing" probably were used as insults by the immigrants, but as Mr. Trent says "What else?"

One Scottish immigrant, George Ballantine, who enlisted in the Regular Army wrote that the natives were, "tyrannical", "foolish", and "ignorant." One German, Alexander Konze called the native officers, "Our warthy superiors"; but did he mean "worthy" or "swarthy"? He did insult native American miltary prowess later on in his writings, and even later he recounted that he was humiliated to stand next to "backwoodsmen" in the ranks. This doesn't appear too insulting though?!

Prior to the the execution of the San Patricios before Chapultepec one Irishman asked for the Colonel of the detail to light his clay pipe by "your elegant red hair." This seemed to bother the officer who proceeded to bash the Irishman in the face with his saber hilt. The Irishman yelled out "Bad luck to you! You've spoiled my smoking entirely!" Minutes later 30 San Patricios danced the hangman's jig...

If we could read the local immigrant newspapers then there would probably have some light on the subject of insults to the native-born. Details of specific riots in cities may show light as well. What arguments and words were exchanged between the real Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys on July 4th 1857? Either way, the ultimate insult would be an exchange of brickbats or street pavers.

[brown]

On topic, but not a direct response:
Please remember that the Catholic/Protestant divide was politically less clear prior to the 20th century. While there would have been division, and much of it politcal, to be a nationalist and Protestant was not unheard of, etc. But from Christian practice and prejudgice, the Catholic practicing Irish and Protestant practicing Americans would have had conflict, but how would a Catholic American feel about a Catholic immigrant? One size doesn't fit all.

I could go on about a British conspiracy to divide the Irish people, but that would only make the thread seem a little more Irish-American backwoodsmanish...

[marine05]

On topic, but not a direct response:
Please remember that the Catholic/Protestant divide was politically less clear prior to the 20th century. While there would have been division, and much of it politcal, to be a nationalist and Protestant was not unheard of, etc. But from Christian practice and prejudgice, the Catholic practicing Irish and Protestant practicing Americans would have had conflict, but how would a Catholic American feel about a Catholic immigrant? One size doesn't fit all.

I could go on about a British conspiracy to divide the Irish people, but that would only make the thread seem a little more Irish-American backwoodsmanish...

Interesting comment on the religious divide, while my father was tracing part of our family in Boston, yes many did come over during the 1840s and after, he looked in the local grave yards what he found there sort of surprised him. There were not a great many Catholic churches in Boston during the period and when one died they were buried in the local church yard. That is not the most interesting, he asked where the graves of our relatives were and he was told that they were behind the wall. There was a wall that separated the Catholic from the Protestant graves. Boston Puritan fathers apparently did not want Papists being buried next to proper people. To note my father stated that many of our relatives were buried between 1840 and 1880.

DJM