The C. & O. Canal, and many public works like it, relied heavily on Irish laborers. Promised steady wages, food, and lodging, these men endured perilous transatlantic voyages, malnourishment, and exploitation before even stepping onto the canal line. Recruitment was aggressive, often deceptive, and the living conditions upon arrival were barely better than those in the homeland. Pushed to the limits of survival, the Irish would come to dominate public works labor, their skills and resilience making them indispensable to early American infrastructure.
