The Irish in Boston - HISTORY

Trace the journey of Boston's Irish population from poverty to power, spearheaded by one man's determination to see justice for his community, in this bonus scene from "America: Promised Land."

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Boston Massacre

Why America Loves/Hated the Irish

In 1771, a group of colonists protest thirteen years of increasing British oppression, by attacking merchant ships in Boston Harbor. In retaliation, the British close the port, and inflict even harsher penalties.

Personal tragedy brought Carlos Arredondo, "the man in the cowboy hat," to the finish line that day, but his spontaneous act of heroism helped save a life and change the course of the investigation into the attack.

The shooting of several men by British soldiers in 1770 inflames passions in the colonies.

Knocked down by the first blast, 78-year-old Bill Iffrig and his orange running jersey became an iconic image of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

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