Back in 1845, in the hills of Ireland, people were starving by the thousands. Their was a potato blight that year, which would eventually take almost a million people's lives due to starvation or disease. Farmer's were losing their land, and along with it, their ability to feed their families. There were many of instances when the little food that a family did luck upon went to the older sons and fathers of the family in order for them to have strength to find work. This left the death toll amongst the children, and the elderly at ungodly heights.
It was also a time when Ireland was still under England's rule.
These are just a couple of the issues that led them to emigrate to the United States in hoards. They heard that there were jobs in industry, and they were more than willing to work hard to find a better way of life. This emigration, though, led to other difficulties.
A majority of the immigrants came to the U. S. through the New York harbors. This created chaos, poverty, and resentment from the established United States Citizens.
There were plenty of instances where the Irish were living just as poorly in the U.S. as they were in their home country. The officials had no choice but to send the sick and diseased back to Ireland until they were able to pass a physical to get back into the United States.
It was a much harder time them. I can't imagine watching my parents or childen die because the resouces weren't available no matter how hard I was willing to work. Or,feeling forced to leave my wife and kids behind for a couple of years, in a country that was in so much unrest, in order for me to find work in hopes of providing for them again.
I wonder what the circumstances were that led Richard Goulding (Born 1868) to America. Was it politics? Famine? Did he live in Ireland or England? What did his parents go through? (We know they were born in England.) What did he do for a living when he first came over here, and what were his living conditions like when he did?
Although I will probably never be able to answer these questions 100 %, I'm glad to have a better idea of what the questions are.
It was after Great Grandpa (Richard Goulding) came to America that he met Anna Gleason. He settled down with her in Ohio, and that's where they began their family. They had three children. Richard, Ruth, and Paul Edward Goulding Sr.
It was 1910. Richard and Anna now had their family established. He was 42 years old, and she was 40. Married seven years, three children, he seems to have been doing pretty well for himself. He was a self employed vender, owned his own house, living 'The American Dream'.