A Celtic Chronology

1800 The Union Act is passed by both Parliaments joining the two countries making Ireland a “region” of the English Crown.

1801 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is formalized and considered done.

Thomas Jefferson of Welsh descent is elected President of the United States by one vote over Aaron Burr in the House of Representatives, where the decision was to be made because each had the same electoral votes. The original election was between Jefferson and Adams with Burr as Jefferson’s Vice President. This election caused the method to be changed.

James Madison whose mother was Eleanor Rose Conway was Jefferson’s Secretary of State.

Irishman Robert Smith was made Secretary of the Navy, his father was born in Strabane.

1802 John Smilie of County Down introduced the bill in the U.S. Congress to repeal the Alien and Sedition Laws. The bill quickly passes. He was succeeded as the United States Senator from South Carolina by John C. Calhoun.

In Jefferson’s second term of office his Vice President is Irishman George Clinton of New York.

1803 The United Irish Society rises briefly in Dublin, its leader Robert Emmet is caught and executed.

Robert Emmet’s brother, Thomas Addis Emmet, one of the leaders of the United Irishmen, arrived in America, he became Attorney General of New York in 1812.

Robert Fulton, of Irish parents, launches the first boat propelled by steam.

The Louisiana Purchase. It is important to note that Americans felt Texas was in the original Louisiana Purchase.

1804 The Lewis and Clark Expedition led by Celts, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark, explored the territory beyond the Mississippi. William Clark was George Rogers Clark’s brother. The expedition was financed to a large degree by Oliver Pollack. The rest was funded by the United States government through Irishman and Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin.

The Essex Junto, a term that refers to a group representing the New England states that wanted to secede from the Union. A party to the plan and group was the British Minister to the United States, Merry, who promised financial and military assistance.

1805 The Barbary pirates are given what they deserve by Thomas McDonough and Stephen Decatur, whose mother was Irish, when Tripoli (where Libya is now) was levelled for demanding tribute from the Americans. For 200 years the pirates of the Barbary Coast, an area made up of Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco charged nations a tribute to leave their shipping alone. Those who did not comply had their ships attacked. The personnel on board were then held ransom with standard fees set. A cabin boy’s ransom was $1,400, while a passenger’s was $4,000. When Jefferson became President, he learned that the rates for the tribute and ransoms were increased. He also discovered the United States had paid more than $2,000,000.00 in tribute to these pirates. A cry went up in the country, “thousands for defense but not one penny for tribute.” The sea attack was co-ordinated with a land attack on the leader of the Barbary pirates at Derna, Tripoli. Lieutenant N. O’Bannon of the United States Marine Corps led the charge of an assault force which had crossed 500 miles of desert to get to Derna. O’Bannon’s actions were successful. O’Bannon raised the United States flag over conquered foreign soil for the first time ever. The new ruler of Tripoli presented O’Bannon with a jewelled sword, the Sword of Mameluke, which is the model of the sword carried by United States Marines today.

1806 Harmon Blennerhassett an emigrant from County Kerry was implicated in the Aaron Burr conspiracy. He was arrested with Burr, but never brought to trial. It was from his island estate Burr’s “army” was to launch its attack. Blennerhassett, a wealthy man, funded much of the supplies and equipment. Besides Blennerhasset’s money and future, Burr also took his attractive wife.

1807 James Sullivan was elected Governor of Massachusetts. He was the son of Limerick born John Sullivan. His brother was Major General Sullivan who gained fame as the conqueror of the Iroquois. James Sullivan later wrote a history of Maine.

Robert Fulton takes the first steamboat, the Clermont, in America up the Hudson River.

Sir Robert McClure, of Wexford, discovered the North West Passage in the arctic.

Alexander Campbell, whose father Thomas was from Antrim, founded the Disciples of Christ at Bethany, West Virginia.

The Chesapeake incident in which the British frigate Leopard stopped the American warship Chesapeake close to the American shore supposedly to exchange “dispatches.” When it became clear the British were looking to impress men into its navy, the Americans resisted. A broadside was fired into the unsuspecting American ship. The British then forcibly removed four American crew members after searching the ship for British “deserters.” This impressment of American sailors into British Naval service is not new, since 1798 over 9,000 Americans were taken in this manner. The Chesapeake incident was the last straw and almost brought the two countries to war. It was a contributing factor when war did break out five years later.

1808 A proposal for Catholic emancipation that gave the government the right of veto over appointments of clergy into the hierarchy is rejected by the Catholic bishops of Ireland.

Joseph Carless of Westmeath founded the first newspaper west of the Mississippi River, the Missouri Gazette.

1809 James Madison elected President

Doctor Ephriam McDowell performed the first Ovariotomy, without anaesthetic.

1810 Thomas O’Connor was editor of The Shamrock, the first Irish American newspaper. O’Connor later ran for Mayor of New York.

1811 The first quarterly review in America, “The American Review of History and Politics”, was started by Irishman Robert Walsh. He later started other publications and served as U.S. Consul in Paris in 1845-1851.

The British pay Chief Tecumseh to raid the American northern border and pay him for every American scalp brought to them. This Pawnee Chief joined his warriors to the British effort in the War of 1812.

1812 War was declared with England, many men of Irish parentage served notably for the United States during the War of 1812. Among them were: Andrew Jackson, who at 47 defeated the British at New Orleans, his parents were from County Antrim.

Commodore Oliver H. Perry, who won the Battle of Lake Eire, his mother was from County Down.

Commodore Thomas MacDonough, who won the Battle of Plattsburg, his grandfather came over from County Kildare.

Commodore John Shaw, who commanded the United States squadron in the Mediterranean during the war, was Irish.

A Captain Boyle with his ship, The Comet, with 12 guns and 120 men defeated three British ships with 20 guns that were escorted by a Portuguese Man of War with 20 guns. Boyle went on to capture three more British ships on the same voyage.

General William Carroll was second in command at the Battle of New Orleans.

Captain Johnson Blakey of County Down was voted a medal by the United States Congress for his exploits at sea during the course of the war.

Commodore Charles Stewart, whose daughter would be the mother of Charles Stewart Parnell, was Captain of the U.S.S. Constitution, “Old Iron Sides.”

William Duane, of Dublin, who promoted Thomas Jefferson’s new Democratic Party in his newspaper, The Aurora, was Adjutant-General during the war.

1813 Indian Chief Tecumseh was killed by a shot fired by an 80 year old Irishman named Mason in the Battle of Thames.

Peter McQueen, a half-breed is Chief of a Creek sub-tribe, the Chief of another Creek sub-tribe, the Salpouches, is Alexander McGillivray, who becomes Chief of the Nation later.

1814 Major General John Ross of Ireland, in the British service burns the White House. He later is killed by a young boy as he ordered the sacking of Baltimore.

Albert Gallatin worked out the Treaty of Ghent for the United States, it settled the border between Canada and the United States.

General William Carroll was second in command to General Andy Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans.

1815 Augustine Macarty, of Irish descent, was Mayor of New Orleans.

William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was Governor of Missouri.

John Mullanphy, a veteran of the French Brigade in the United States, corners the cotton market in the Mississippi Valley and becomes a very wealthy man.

Andrew Jackson defeats a British invasion force at New Orleans.

1816 Archibald Mellon came to America from County Tyrone. His grandson was Andrew Mellon.

Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated in New Orleans with the Governor in attendance.

DeWitt Clinton was Governor of New York.

1817 James Monroe elected President of the United States, he was a descendant of two Scottish families: MacKenzie and Munro. He was also related to Major Andrew Monroe of County Derry. John C. Calhoun was his Secretary of State and J. McClean his Postmaster.

1818 Work begins on the Erie Canal, the canal came from the brain of one Irishman (Colles), and the brawn of thousands.

General Andrew Jackson shoots two English agents stirring up the Seminole Indians in Florida.

1819 The Onis Treaty with Spain is signed giving the United States all former Spanish territories east of the Mississippi River to the United States. This treaty renounced all claims to Texas, a very unpopular result of the treaty for many Americans. This was why when Texas was annexed in 1845, many Americans and politicians called it a re-annexation.

1820 Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated in Saint Louis by Irish immigrants. For the next decade, 50,000 Irish immigrants entered the United States.

An Irish colony was founded in Texas by John McMullen and James Power.

1823 Daniel O’Connell later known as the “Great Emancipator” founds the Catholic Association and begins to campaign for full civil rights for Catholics.

James Shields of Dungannon, County Tyrone settled in Illinois. He would, after a distinguished military career, be the Governor of Oregon, and United States Senator to Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Alexander Stewart of County Antrim settled into New York City and opened A.T. Stewart and Company, Americas first large scale retail store.

William R. King, son of Irish parents, was the U.S. Senator from Alabama. In 1844 he was U.S. Minister to France. In 1848 he was again one of the U.S. Senators from Alabama, in 1850 he was Vice President of the United States and President of the United States Senate.

1824 John McLoughlin, whose father was born in Donegal, became the chief factor for the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company. He ruled until 1846 the area that would one day be Oregon, Washington, Northern California, Idaho, and parts of Nevada, Wyoming, and western Canada.

John Quincy Adams, son of President John Adams, is elected President by the House of Representatives over Andrew Jackson who had tied him in the electoral voting. John C. Calhoun was Vice President.

1825 John Murphy was Governor of Alabama until 1829.

1826 A Catholic Association candidate wins election in Waterford.

1827 O’Connell is overwhelmingly elected to the Parliament from Clare even though as a Catholic he is not eligible for the office.

John J. Read of Dublin is in California, he later settles Sausalito.

1828 Andrew Jackson, son of Irish immigrants, was elected President of the United States. He was nominated by a Mr. Kennedy. His Republican opponent was James G. Blaine, whose mother was Irish. Jackson’s Vice President, John C. Calhoun, was also the son of Irish immigrants.

Peggy O’Neal’s husband, John Eaton’s appointment as Secretary of War brings musical chairs to the “kitchen cabinet.”