History Corner / Book Review: The Irish and the American Presidency by Nicole Anderson Yanoso

Transaction Publishers



The Irish and the American Presidency cover


Synopsis:

There is a widely held notion that, except for the elections of 1928 and 1960, the Irish have primarily influenced only state and local government. The Irish and the American Presidency reveals that the Irish have had a consistent and noteworthy impact on presidential careers, policies, and elections throughout American history. Using US party systems as an organizational framework, this book examines the various ways that Scots-Irish and Catholic Irish Americans, as well as the Irish who remained in Éire, have shaped, altered, and sometimes driven such presidential political factors as party nominations, campaign strategies, elections, and White House policymaking.
The Irish seem to be inextricably interwoven into important moments of presidential political history. Yanoso discusses the Scots-Irish participation in the American Revolution, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the War of 1812. She describes President Bill Clinton’s successful Good Friday Agreement that brought peace and hope to Northern Ireland. And finally, she assesses the now-common presidential visits to Ireland as a strategy for garnering Irish-American support back home.
No previous work has explored the impact of Irish and Irish-American affairs on US presidential politics throughout the entire scope of American history. Readers interested in presidential politics, American history, and/or Irish/Irish-American history are certain to find The Irish and the American Presidency enjoyable, informative, and impactful.

Review:
Did you know that literally ONE FOURTH of the US Presidents were of Irish descent?  In fact there were only 6 presidents, before the Irish effect started with Andrew Jackson (County Antrum and County Down descent). So it's NO surprise that the Irish are heavily interested in our current election, and that both nominees are after the 'Irish' vote. 
This book is easy accessible, and Nicole makes the history of the 2 nations come alive, as she shows how the sons, and daughters, of Eire, have helped to truly form this country's history,  both politically and via its westward expansion. Most readers will be surprised at how intertwined the 2 countries really are and how the dominant Irish culture has shaped the country, to make it the country everyone wants to come to! This is a great book to read before the election comes up, and an equally rgeat book to give this holiday season!

About the Author:
Nicole Anderson Yanoso is an assistant professor of history at the College of Saint Elizabeth. She received her BA from the College of St. Elizabeth, her MA from East Stroudsburg University, and her PhD from Drew University. 

Comments