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We've done your homework. This is Danielle Fischel from Pod Meets World. Parents, quick question. When is the last time you won snack time? The other day, I handed my son a perfectly portioned Pinterest-level snack and And he traded it for a Mott's applesauce pouch.
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Klein's the author of four books and is a frequent contributor to the History Channel. Here's Klein with the story of when the American Irish invaded Canada. Let's take a listen. Right. On the night of May 31st, 1866, residents of Buffalo, New York saw a most unusual sight as they looked outside their windows.
Nearly 800 battle-hardened soldiers dressed in Union blues and Confederate grays marched through the city streets while hauling wagons full of ammunition and rifles. No, these former foes had not come to Buffalo to reignite the Civil War. Instead, they were improbable brothers in arms, united against a common enemy. Great burden. This ragtag army of Irish American Civil War veterans was undertaking one of the most fantastical missions in military history.
to hold Canada hostage, and ransom it from the British Government for Ireland's independence.
So, why would any Americans want to attack sweet, peaceable, friendly Canada? While it may be hard to believe today when the United States and Canada share the longest peaceable international boundary in the world. But things between the United States and Canada weren't always so polite. In fact, during the first century of the history of the United States, the idea of invading Canada was about as American as fireworks on the Fourth of July. Just a few months after the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord in the American Revolution, the Continental Army went due north to Quebec.
There were numerous encounters on both sides of the border during the War of 1812. The other thing to keep in mind about this time period is that the flag flying over Canada isn't the maple leaf that we're all familiar with today, but it was the British Union Jack, which was a hated symbol for many of the Irish who were forced to flee their country.
Now the luck of the Irish was something you really didn't want to have for about seven centuries of world history, because the Irish had the poor fortune of being in the backyard of what will become the world's most powerful empire. And things were particularly bad for the Irish Catholics who lived under British rule in the 1700s under what were called the penal laws. Under those laws, Irish Catholics were not free to worship, to run for public office, to send their children to Catholic schools, or own a horse that was worth more than five pounds. They were allowed to own one knife, as long as it was chained down so that it could not be used against the local police. and even in death their rights were restricted since Catholic priests were not allowed to preside over graveside ceremonies.
And when the potato crop failed in the eighteen forties and eighteen fifties, Some Irish believed that the British were trying to exterminate them altogether. More than one million Irish died in what would be called the Great Hunger. Nearly 2 million fled a shipwreck of an island, and many of them arrived in the United States. These newcomers were unlike any America had seen before. For one thing, They were more refugees than they were immigrants.
They weren't necessarily hungering for American ideals as much as they were literally starving for food. About a quarter of them spoke the Irish language. did not speak English. Many of them are illiterate. but what really sets them apart from most Americans at that time was that they were practicing what was considered an alien religion, Catholicism.
and the more threatened they felt, The iris turn inward, like a snake coiling itself for protection. They clung together in church parishes. Fraternal organizations like the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and beginning in 1858, a new organization called the Fenian Brotherhood, which was established to launch a revolution in Ireland. Many members of the Fenian Brotherhood served in the Civil War to gain knowledge about battlefield tactics and weaponry that they could use for the real fight they wanted to have, which was the one against the British to free Ireland. After the Civil War, the Fenia Brotherhood established its own Irish government in exile right in the heart of New York City.
It had its own constitution, its own senate, and its own president. It even sold war bonds in denominations between $10 and $500 to raise money to buy weapons and ammunition. By 1866, the city was a very good thing. Many Fenian leaders had decided that it made more sense to strike the British right in America's backyard. in the territory of Canada, rather than launching the revolution all the way across the ocean in Ireland.
It was an idea that made sense to Fenium member John O'Neill, who had been born in Ireland and witnessed first hand the horrors of the Great Hunger. He had heard tales from his grandfather of ancestors Ew O'Neil and Owen Row O'Neil, who had gained fame by rising up against the British. When O'Neill was summoned to the battlefield in May of eighteen sixty six, he said goodbye to his wife and new born son, and went off to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers. O'Neill was placed in charge of those 800 men who came out of the woodwork in Buffalo on May 31st, 1866, in what was the fulfillment of his lifelong dream. The governing passion of my life, apart from my duty to my God, O'Neill had written.
is to be at the head of an Irish army battling against England for Ireland's rights. For this I live, and for this, if necessary, I'm willing to die. O'Neill knew that only one thing could prevent his forces from crossing the Niagara River into Canada, and that was the USS Michigan which was docked in the Port of Buffalo. Unbeknownst to the ship's captain, the Phenians had a sleeper cell of seventeen men who served aboard the USS Michigan. and they knew that ship was not going anywhere without its pilot.
whose name happened to be Patrick Murphy. Don't let the name fool you, however. Patrick Murphy was a loyal sailor who would follow all orders. and the Fenians knew it. They knew the only way they could sabotage the USS Michigan was to take Patrick Murphy out.
And I don't mean by killing him. They take him out for a night on the town in Buffalo.
so when the orders were given to put the Michigan into the Niagara River, Patrick Murphy is reportedly spotted arm in arm with a woman stumbling down the streets of Buffalo singing the Wearing of the Green. With the path cleared, O'Neill and the Fenians crossed the Niagara River in the early morning hours of June 1st and planted the Irish flag on British soil. More than 24 hours passed before O'Neill encountered any Canadian Defence Forces. and occurs in the early morning hours of June 2nd outside the village of Ridgway, about 20 miles south of Niagara Falls. There the Phenians battle a ragtag army that included farm boys and even students from the University of Toronto who only days before were taking their final exams.
Although outnumbered three to one, the Fenians had a much more seasoned fighting force thanks to the Civil War experience of their soldiers, and the Fenians end up being victorious at the Battle of Ridgway, which claimed the lives of about twenty men on both sides. John O'Neill would go down in history as the hero of Ridgway. and be celebrated by many Irish Americans.
However, after the battle, O'Neill realized that his supply lines had been cut and he was going to have no choice but to retreat back to the United States. O'Neill launched further attacks in 1870 and 1871. In fact, Dafenians attacked Canada five times in what are collectively known as Afenian Raids. These attacks are seminal moments in Canadian history. and helped the establishment of the Canadian government in 1867, spurred in part by Canadians who are none too happy with the lack of defence forces provided by the British government.
As for what happened to the Phenians, I will give you the spoiler alert. The idea of holding Canada hostage and ransoming it for Ireland's independence. Yeah. It didn't work. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler.
And a special thanks to Christopher Klein. He's a regular contributor to the History Channel, author of four books, and frequent contributor right here on Our American Stories. And as Klein put it, the Irish had the poor fortune of being in the backyard of the British Empire. And things weren't much better here. They were refugees.
They weren't coming here to seek the American dream, but just, well, just to eat. But boy, the desire to free Ireland with this plan that included bringing Confederate and Union Irish together to invade Canada, hold it hostage. What a big, bold, and frankly, American idea. The story of 800 Irish soldiers who tried to liberate Ireland by capturing Canada. Here on Our American Stories.
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Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Homes.com has collaboration tools to help home shoppers search, share, and discuss home shopping with family, friends, and their agent directly through the site. Though it was fun to get that email from your husband about that three-bedroom in the hills, to which you replied via text that you would never live in the hills and you'd like to find a three-bedroom closer to the beach. To which he replied, Why are you so uncompromising? A fun way to spend an afternoon, but we think it's just a tad bit easier our way.
Homes.com. We've done your homework. This is Danielle Fischel from Pod Meets World. Parents, quick question. When is the last time you won snack time?
The other day, I handed my son a perfectly portioned Pinterest-level snack and And he traded it for a Mott's applesauce pouch. I'm not mad, just impressed. And that's why Mott's no-sugar-added applesauce pouches are perfect to keep on hand. They're made with real apples, packed in a super easy pouch, perfect for tossing in a lunchbox, keeping in the car, or grabbing as you're running out the door. Plus, they're a good source of vitamin C, and kids love them.
Win-win. Make sure your kid wins snack time with Motts. Real apples make real good applesauce. Learn more at Motts.com. This message is sponsored by Greenlight.
With school out, summer is the perfect time to teach our kids real-world money skills they'll use forever. Greenlight is a debit card and the number one family finance and safety app used by millions of families, helping kids learn how to save, invest, and spend wisely. Parents can send their kids money and track their spending and saving while kids build money confidence and skills in fun ways. Start your risk-free Green Light trial today at greenlight.com/slash iHeart. That's greenlight.com/slash iHeart.
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