Learning Target: I will explain the origins and signifiance of St. Patrick's Day.
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/St-Patricks-Day/389231 "St. Patrick’s Day, feast day (March 17) of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland...It was emigrants, particularly to the United States, who transformed St. Patrick’s Day into a largely secular holiday of revelry and celebration of things Irish." Britannica School High
https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/religion/a-brave-and-generous-people Mar 4, 2025 "The face of the Continental Army had changed since the early days of the war; quite literally. Irish Presbyterian settlers comprised the largest immigrant group (more than 200,000) to arrive in the colonies in the 18th century.2 As interest in soldiering amongst those of English descent declined, Irish men, although considered less socially desirable, readily volunteered for active duty. As a result, a substantial percentage of the Continental Army claimed Irish ancestry. General Washington, and the larger American population, was fascinated by the mounting political unrest in Ireland. Not only did Ireland’s patriotic struggle against the British crown mirror their own hunger for liberty, but interest in the conflict was also strategic: trouble for the British just across the Irish Sea was closer to home. It could effectively distract England from her independence-bent colonies; dividing not only attention but resources." Mount Vernon
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/jfk-and-the-history-of-irish-immigration-in-boston.htm Nov 26, 2024 "The waves of Irish immigration to Boston have long shaped the city’s cultural and political landscape....As the first Irish-Catholic President of the United States and a descendant of Irish immigrants, John F. Kennedy’s presidency marked the culmination of over a century of Irish American upward mobility....Irish immigration to New England remained low until 1821, when Ireland experienced its first potato crop failure and Boston found itself receiving about 2,000 immigrants from the depleted southern farming counties. These primarily Irish Catholic immigrants arrived in Boston with very little money and were mainly qualified for work as day-laborers, working on the piers and construction sites. Their willingness to work for little pay in undesirable conditions meant that they were seen as competition for “unskilled” jobs by other working-class Bostonians. This created an atmosphere of hostility between the groups that resulted in frequent violent clashes and destruction of Irish Catholic property. National Park Service
https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-origins-america MAR 12, 2019 HISTORY article by Christopher Klein.
https://www.helgilibrary.com/charts/which-country-eats-the-most-potatoes Mar 10, 2022 "Based on a comparison of 161 countries in 2019, China ranked the highest in potato consumption with 63,875 kt followed by India and USA." HelgiLibrary
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/potato-consumption-by-country Mar 17, 2025 "Potatoes aren’t just common, familiar food staples in Western countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Their versatility and accessibility mean potatoes regularly grace dinner plates all over the world....Overall, the nations of Eastern Europe lead the world when it comes to average per capita potato consumption....Countries with cultural traditions that come attached to potato-heavy culinary preferences – such as Ireland, Peru, and the Netherlands – will naturally see higher per capita potato consumption rates. Potatoes also tend to thrive in agricultural conditions associated with these countries, making their efficient cultivation and distribution a lot easier." World Population Review
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/flag-of-Ireland/93881 "In the 19th century various tricolour flags and ribbons came to be symbolic of Irish nationalism. Many of them included the colours green (for the Roman Catholics), orange (for the Protestants), and white (for peace between them)." Britannica School High
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xROmDsULcLE Dec 14, 2015 Baked or fried, boiled or roasted, as chips or fries; at some point in your life you’ve probably eaten a potato. But potatoes have played a much more significant role in our history than just that of the dietary staple we have come to know and love today. Leo Bear-McGuinness shares how without the potato, our modern civilization might not exist at all. Lesson by Leo Bear-McGuinness, animation by Black Powder Design. View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/history-through-the-eyes-of-the-potato-leo-bear-mcguinness TEDEd
1. The ______ civilization was aided by the potato's nutritional value.
2. The potato was too closely related to which deadly species of plant for some European's comfort?
3. The Irish potato famine occurred between _______.
4. Which country brought the potato to Europe?
5. How many Irish starved to death during the Irish potato famine?
6. How did the potato help bring about the Industrial revolution?
7. What other reasons could the Europeans have had for not wanting to eat potatoes at first?
8. What were the main countries to which the Irish migrants fled?
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/history-through-the-eyes-of-the-potato-leo-bear-mcguinness#review
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/flag-of-the-United-Kingdom/74268 "red, white, and blue flag in which are combined the Crosses of St. George (England), St. Andrew (Scotland), and St. Patrick (Ireland)...It continued in use until January 1, 1801, the effective date of the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland. In order to incorporate the Cross of St. Patrick (a red diagonal cross on white) while preserving the individual entities of the three crosses, the heraldic advisers to the sovereign found an elegant solution. " Britannica School High
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5KNQ1xciMQ Mar 9, 2020 Every March 17th, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world. Learn more about this Irish holiday and the patron saint it is named after in this History digital exclusive. HISTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xyhc3S9RPw Mar 17, 2017 March 17th is St. Patrick's Day! This day honors St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. What part of St. Patrick's Day seems the most fun? PBS KIDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9MFFRVQ9DI Mar 13, 2020 Learn the story of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who lived a remarkable life, in this History digital exclusive. HISTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfrwReAi-3k&t Mar 17, 2018 St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated for centuries. But what are the holiday's origins, and who exactly was St. Patrick? Learn about the patron saint of Ireland, why St. Patrick's Day is associated with four-leafed clovers, and how the American Revolution contributed to the growth of this once minor religious holiday. National Geographic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U31YsvZwwb4&t Mar 10, 2020 Get the fact on St. Patrick's Cathedral, an iconic New York City landmark named after Ireland's patron saint, in this History digital exclusive. HISTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1BWWzj5b34 Sep 27, 2015 In 2012, New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced a $175 million restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Years of neglect had taken its toll on the historic church, and according to Dolan, the landmark's restoration and repair was not a luxury. Mo Rocca takes a tour of the continuing work. CBS Sunday Morning
3. What are the THREE ideas that have captured your attention from today's class?
2. What are TWO questions that you are still thinking about related to these topics?
1. What is ONE thing that you will remember long after this class is over?
Audio Player 02:51
Recorded March 1920, New York, N.Y.
Saint Patrick's Day message
St. Patrick's Day address
Saint Patrick's Day address
Speech by Éamon De Valera, President, Republic of Ireland. "Sons and daughters of the Gael! Wherever you be today, in the name of the motherland ... it is consistent with your highest duty to link yourselves together to use your united strength to break the chains that bind our sweet sad mother ..."
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Ireland/106328 "In 1920 the island was effectively partitioned with the creation of Northern Ireland, a six-county area with devolved powers within the United Kingdom, whereas under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6, 1921, the other 26 counties became the Irish Free State, a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth and Empire. In 1937 the southern state passed a new constitution that offered a more robust expression of sovereignty, and in 1949 it formally left the Commonwealth as the Republic of Ireland." Britannica School High