On the right are many cartoons drawn to depict Irish people in London. As you can see, these cartoons are unnattractive and ape-like.

Prejudice and Stereotypes of the Irish People

The extreme poverty in London partly emanated from the racist stereotypes that were given to Irish people. Stereotypes made things even more difficult for the Irish to become successful in London after the devastating potato famine in their homeland. They were unable to rise above the working-class status because British upperclassmen and middle class people depicted the Irish as, " A lazy, vulgar people prone to drinking and brawling". The British had strong religious beliefs that differed from the Irish. Most Englishmen were protestant and the Irish were strong Roman Catholics. This caused rivalry between the two groups. These common stereotypes harmed the social and working class of the Irish people. The Irish were always seen as the "inferior" people in England. Even Engels characterizes the Irish in this manner. It was because the Irish were the majority who had the lowest paying jobs, and if they weren't employed they were found on the streets begging or trying to sell something. It was difficult for an immigrant without money to find a pleasant paying job in another country. Irish immigrants provided England with cheap and "redundant" labor. The need for cheap labor was an economic demand therefore, stereotypes of the Irish people were scientifically justified by Charles Darwin and his definition of Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism was the belief that people acquired the same traits through their family chain. The stereotypes that the Irish were subordinate and owned ape-like characteristics held true for the English oppressors. This stereotype came from the generalization that the Irish working class had a high birth rate and were seen as too sexual and animal-like.