Leaving the Gypsy Life

The Irish Travelers came to America during the Great Potato Famine in the 1840's. Unlike most groups though, the Travelers didn't assimilate, rather they banded together in clannish communities, speaking their own language, called Cant. During most of the year, they traveled, as indicated by their name, working at home repair jobs or selling tools, returning to their villages for the winter. They were often mistrusted by law enforcement and those they called the "settled people". They were ...