Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 6.djvu/672

 106 STAT. 5230 PROCLAMATION 6408—MAR. 4, 1992 and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and sixteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6408 of March 4, 1992 Irish-American Heritage Month, 1992 By the President of the United states of America A Proclamation They trace their roots to "an isle of wondrous beauty," to a place "as kind as it is green." They are the more than 40 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry, and this month as communities across the country honor Saint Patrick, the beloved apostle of Ireland, our Nation joins in celebrating their rich heritage. The distinct heritage of Irish immigrants and their descendants has long been a vibrant part of American history and culture. Sons and daughters of Erin were among the first colonists in America, and many played key roles in our Nation's struggle for independence. Nine of the men who signed our Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin, as was Commodore John Barry, the first naval commander commissioned by the Continental Congress. Another son of Ireland, Charles Thomson, served as the secretary of that body during all 15 years of its existence. Hailed as "the Sam Adams of Philadelphia, the life of the cause of liberty," Thomson labored to help keep the Continental Congress together until America's freedom had been won and a new government under the Constitution had been established. Scores of other Irish-Americans championed the cause of liberty through service in the Continental Army. Although a significant number of Americans of Irish descent contributed to our Nation's independence, the largest wave of Irish immigration did not reach these shores until the mid-19th century. When a devastating potato blight in the late 1840s led to a series of crop failures and famine, well over a million Irish immigrants journeyed to this land of opportunity. Boston, New York, and other great cities grew with the influx of Irish labor, as did our Nation's railroads, metal trades, and mining communities. One historical portrait of Irish-Americans quotes a 19th-century journal as observing: America demands for her development an inexliaustible fund of physical energy, and Ireland supplies the most part of it. There are several sorts of power working at the fabric of this Republic— waterpower, steam-power, and Irish-power. The last works hardest of all. Such accounts of Irish industry and resolve are, today, inspiring. Yet we know that although it is as glorious as the ancient tales of Brian Boru and as rich as the fields that border the River Shannon, the Irish- American heritage includes its share of hardship. While farming and other trades were difficult in Ireland, even before the "Black Forties," many 19th-century Irish immigrants faced hard and dangerous work in our Nation's mining towns and cities. The Irish

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