Books by Professor Michael J O'Brien

While the great wave of Irish immigrants which arrived on our shores in the mid- to late-nineteenth century is well known, and their role in the industrialization of the United States is widely recognized, the important role they played in the original settlement of this country is frequently overlooked. The author's purpose in compiling this volume was to show beyond any doubt the magnitude of the Irish involvement in the founding of the United States. To that end he discusses the various causes of Irish immigration, both voluntary and involuntary, and proceeds to identify at least six hundred Irish men and women who were in America before 1700. The bulk of the text concerns New England, although there is some mention of Virginia and other colonies. There is a wealth of biographical data given in this well documented and fully indexed volume.

This comprehensive contribution to the large part Irish and Irish-Americans played in the American Revolution covers genealogy, battles, fraternal organizations, and Irish friendship with George Washington. It is a refutation of Bancroft and Lodge by the historiographer of the American Irish Historical Society, with analysis of early Irish emigration to the colonies, the sympathies of the Irish with the Revolution, and the role played by the Irish in the Revolution. The appendix lists first officers, then non-commissioned officers of the American Army and Navy of the Revolution of Irish birth and descent.