A new perspective on the Fenian Invasion of Canada

What is it about?

Following the 1866 Fenian Invasion of Canada, there was an attempt by Irish Americans to enshrine that story through narrative and lyric, but ultimately this history becomes somewhat forgotten in popular memory. My article explores why this might have happened in the negotiations and politics surrounding the Irish immigrant experience in the United States. This article indicates the varying textures to Irish American identity evident in such negotiations of an immigrant ethnic memory.

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Why is it important?

Researching the 1866 Fenian invasion of Canada it was noticeable that this history has been treated somewhat offhandedly within the histories of Irish America, Ireland, and the United States. I have attempted to explore the Fenian actions from the Irish American perspective, investigating how it was once a more important story for the diaspora, but ultimately it loses out and disregarded due to the various pressures and negotiations of a more acceptable Irish identity within America.