The Ghosts of Duffy's Cut - The Irish Who Died Building America's Most Dangerous Stretch of Railroad (Hardcover)

This title details the cover-up of one of the worst labour tragedies in American history. The authors conducted an archaeological dig of the site and include their observations. It includes many illustrations. It will appeal to readers interested in Irish and Irish-American history, labour history, and the history of technology and medicine. In 1832, fifty-seven Irish Catholic workers were brought to the United States to lay one of the most difficult miles of American railway, Duffy's Cut of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the eyes of the company, these men were expendable. Deaths were common during the building of the railway but this stretch was worse than most. When cholera swept the camp, basic medical attention and community support was denied to them. In the end, all fifty-seven men died and were buried in a mass unmarked grave. Their families in Ireland were never told what happened to them. The company did its best to cover up the incident, which was one of the worst labour tragedies in U.S. history. This book tells the story of these men, the sacrifices they made, and the mistreatment that claimed their lives. learn how Irish labour built the railroads, and about the impact of the Great Cholera Epidemic on American life. The authors argue that the annihilation of the work crew came about because of the extreme conditions of their employment, the prejudice of the surrounding community, and vigilante violence that kept them isolated. The authors' archaeological digs at the site and meticulous historical research shed light on this tragic chapter in American labour history.