George Washington and the Irish

Incredible Stories of the Irish Spies, Soldiers, and Workers who Helped Free America

Niall O'Dowd

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2022
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781510769403
• Subtopic: Early American History
• Index: History

Discover the untold story of the vital role the Irish played in the American Revolution. George Washington changed the world and saved democracy by defeating the British during the American War of Independence. The Irish role in the American Revolution, the war for the ages, has never been correctly reported.Because many of the Irish who fought were poor and illiterate and left no memoirs, their stories and role have never been told. Until now.The Irishplayed a huge role in the American Revolution, not just on the battlefield but also in the field hospitals and in the framing of the Declaration of Independence. Learn the story of the famous spy Hercules Mulligan, who saved George Washington's life on two occasions and who was famously portrayed by Okieriete Onaodowan in Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash hit Hamilton. Discover the story of Edward Hoban, a carpenter from Ireland who Washington tasked with building the most famous residence in the world: the White House.Niall O'Dowd, author of Lincoln and the Irish and A New Ireland, takes readers on a journey into the unexplored contributions of the Irish in the American Revolution and behind the scenes of the relationships of some of those men and women with the first president of the United States. These unsung heroes of the American Revolution have never gotten their due, never had their story told, until now, in George Washington and the Irish.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Freedom’s Sons and Daughters—The Story of the Irish and George Washington
• Prologue: A Fine Day for Freedom
• Chapter 1: Hercules Mulligan, Thinker, Tailor, Sleeper Spy
• Chapter 2: Mary Waters, Angel of the Camps
• Chapter 3: The President’s Beloved Housekeeper and Washington’s Kindness
• Chapter 4: The Socialites Plan Their Ball as the Irish Camp Followers Almost Starve
• Chapter 5: The Heroic Days and Party Nights of General Henry Knox and Wife Lucy
• Chapter 6: Eyewitness to History—John Fitzgerald Crossed the Delaware by Washington’s Side
• Chapter 7: The Irish Patriot Who Invented the Name “United States of America”
• Chapter 8: Timothy Murphy Fires the Shot that Changed America
• Chapter 9: Dramatic Saint Patrick’s Days as Washington Proudly Wears the Green
• Chapter 10: Washington’s Inner Irish Circle Revealed
• Chapter 11: The Only Catholic to Sign the Declaration Was the Richest Man in America
• Chapter 12: By Land and By Sea—How a Former Irish Cabin Boy Founded the American Navy
• Chapter 13: The Irish Orphan Who Became a Founding Father and Informed Washington He Was Elected President
• Chapter 14: The Remarkable Irishman Who Witnessed Washington and Franklin’s Last Meeting—and Corrected Washington’s Writings
• Chapter 15: Extract from Benjamin Franklin’s Remarkable Letter from Ireland
• Chapter 16: How an Obscure Irishman Built the White House but Used Slaves to Do It
• Chapter 17: Where Did Slavery Come From in the First Place?
• Chapter 18: The Irish Boy Soldier Named Andrew Jackson Who Fought Bravely for Washington
• Chapter 19: The World Turns Upside Down as Kate Barry Becomes Southern Paul Revere
• Chapter 20: “The Conway Cabal”—A Rogue Irish General Seeks to Overthrow Washington
• Chapter 21: Washington Hangs an Irishman—Traitor or Fall Guy?
• Chapter 22: How Gilbert Stuart Escaped an Irish Prison to Create One of the Most Famous Paintings in History
• Epilogue: Washington’s Family Celebrated Irish Links for Generations
• Index