Abstract
The Irish have been part of the American polity since the 1600s, but did not develop political power until the late 19th century. By the end of the 20th century, however, Irish-American politicians were prominent actors on the world stage, and the Irish-American community was able to successfully force American intervention into the Northern Irish conflict. A series of events, including mass emigration in the 1850s, the Civil War, and the fight for Irish independence helped form an Irish-American political identity; by the mid 20th century, the Irish-American community both had political power on the national stage and were considered to be fully American. The twin developments of political power and an American political identity allowed for Irish-American political leaders to interact with and influence presidential decisions and action on Northern Ireland. This thesis examines how the development of Irish-American political power influenced American policy toward Northern Ireland and the role that Irish-American actors had in the Good Friday Agreement.