DOC A Christian Manifesto by Francis A. Schaeffer in History

Description

Between 1802 and 1902; over 2000 Irish emigrants; mainly Catholics from Ulster; relocated to northern Delaware; where they found steady employment in E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company s black powder yards. Explosives work was dangerous; but the du Ponts; perhaps best described as sincere paternalists; provided a host of benefits; including assisted migration; free or low-cost housing; interest-bearing savings accounts; and widows pensions. As a result; the Irish remained loyal to their employers; convinced by their everyday experiences that their interests and the du Ponts were one and the same. These generally peaceable labor relations underscore Mulrooney s innovative exploration of cultural identity. Employing a wide array of sources; she turns away from worksite and instead turns to the domestic sphere as; broadly defined to include everything from labor relations; emigration patterns; religious beliefs; and gender roles to attitudes about housing; consumer goods; yards; and foodways. Her research reveals that powder mill families asserted their distinctive ethno-religious heritage at the same time as they embraced what U.S. capitalism had to offer."