My name is Rose I am 25 years old and the year is 1865. I reside in New York, which I find such a beautiful place to call home. There are so many opportunities for people here. It is hard to believe 20 years ago I was fighting for my life to get here. The year was 1845 my family and I were forced to relocate from our country Ireland because of what was called the great potato rot. (Oracle Think Quest, 2010) Our crops had remained undependable for some time and many families were starving and left with only one choice of relocating with hopes for a better life. I will never forget when we began our journey to leave Ireland and start anew life in the United States of America. This was referred to by many as the American Wake. (The Kinsella Homepage, 2008) There were hundreds of us that left Ireland by boat. The ships we were traveling by were being called coffin ships; because so many became ill with disease during our journey. Many of us were very scared we wouldn’t be alive to make it to the U.S. Some decided to stay in Canada during our journey and begin their life there. While others like myself went with their families to the U.S. settling in places such as Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. I will never forget the feeling all shared when seeing the statue of liberty, it was like she was welcoming all of us. By 1847 52,000 Irish had arrived in the U.S. Upon entering New York we were met by Irish runners offering us room and board. We stayed in places called boarding houses in Manhattan. (The History Place, 2000) The U.S. offered our men many job opportunities. I remember shortly after entering the U.S. my father started working a hard labor job doing canal building, while my brothers were working in lumbering and civil construction works. My mother got a job as a chamber maid while others than came with us were cooks and caretakers of children. It was a breath of fresh air since there was no money to be made in Ireland in those last months prior to...