irish traveller movement jobs

Housing, racism, and jobs are biggest issues facing Travellers, forum hears

Impact of intergenerational exclusion on the community’s young people discusssed.

Members of the Travelling community protesting over accommodation in 2014. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Inadequate housing, racism and a dearth of job prospects are the greatest challenges facing young Travellers, a forum to increase their involvement in discussions on such issues heard on Wednesday.

The event, hosted by the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) to mark publication of its first Traveller Youth Participation and Leadership Strategy, heard from a number of Traveller youth workers.

Bernard Joyce, director of ITM, pointing out 58 per cent of Travellers are under 25, said: "Young Travellers need to be heard on issues of importance to them, but there are few spaces where this happens, or where their views are sought. We need to encourage their engagement and ensure that's valued in the wider context of Irish life, and visible in national conversations."

The strategy, to run from 2021 to 2015, aims to bring young Travellers together on a regular basis to discuss and make recommendations on the issues important to them. It is hoped this will “empower” them and build their capacity to “become leaders in their own communities”.

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Census 2016 found just 8 per cent of working-age Travellers, compared with 73 per cent nationally had reached leaving certificate at second level.

Traveller youth workers who participated in drawing up the strategy stressed the impact of intergenerational exclusion on the community’s young people.

Michael Collins, youth worker from Finglas, Dublin, and a Traveller, said many young people had negative experiences when trying to get work, while others who wanted to get into training or apprenticeships did not know how. He called for a dedicated Traveller employment service.

“Travellers don’t have the social capital or the connections other young people would have to gain employment. There are agencies that could help. It’s about getting information out to the young people.”

Sally Flynn, a Dublin-based Traveller woman, said she had been "very lucky" with the support she received at her secondary school in Ballyfermot.

She said many Traveller children and teenagers, however, felt belittled and unwelcome at school. Reduced timetables was mentioned as a means schools use to exclude Traveller children.

One of the biggest issues Ms Flynn saw for Traveller children was “overcrowding” in housing and halting sites.

“It has a huge impact on the young people’s mental health. We see it every day. People still do not have their basic needs being met.”

Leanna Ward, a young Traveller based in Galway, said while it was important to encourage young Travellers to participate in strategies, and to stay on in education, there had to be the prospect of employment in adulthood.

“Having the strategy is brilliant but it’s about having opportunities afterwards. Is there an opportunity for employment?” Citing the example of Bounceback recycling in Galway, which is employs 12 Travellers, she said “it should be mandatory for employers to have one Traveller employed”.

Minister for Children and Equality, Roderic O’Gorman, sent his support for the strategy though Mr Joyce, in answer to a question, said there had been no financial support from the Department for it.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times

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The traveller movement.

Yvonne MacNamara (CEO)

020 7607 2002

[email protected]

http://www.travellermovement.org.uk/

40 Jeffrey's Road, Stockwell, London SW4 6QX

Both, Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies, (hereafter referred to as Traveller communities) are documented as the most disadvantaged ethnic groups in Britain today. It is estimated that there are 300,000 of Travellers in Britain although this is thought to be an underestimate due to their lack of participation in the census. 

The Traveller Movement (TM) was established in 1999 as a second–tier community development charity, following the recognition of a gap in service provision and the marginalisation of the Irish Traveller community in Britain. 

TM gained charitable status in 2003. Following a recognised demand and its capabilities TM expanded its remit in 2008 to include work with all other Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities in Britain. 

Through commissioning and collating research, TM has become the leading charity and first point of contact regarding Traveller issues. TM seeks to empower Traveller communities by campaigning for a new policy framework for addressing exclusion and discrimination. 

TM encourages Traveller projects and other interested service providers to use TM as a channel to collect and disseminate information on legislative policies and their effect on the Traveller community. TM also promotes equality, diversity and racial harmony for the benefit of all members of British society by encouraging others to understand the culture and needs of Travellers. 

Irish Traveller Movement: Manager - Traveller Apprenticeship Programme

Manager - Traveller Apprenticeship Programme

Terms and conditions.

Salary : €41,502 - €52,982 commensurate with experience.

Work hours : Full time 35 hours per week.

Pension : ITM makes a pension contribution of 5% to all employees who complete their probationary period.

The appointment will initially be for one year full-time (35 hours per week), renewable thereafter depending on funding.

To apply: Please return CV with a cover letter that highlights your relevant skills and outlines your interest in the position to [email protected] or post to The Irish Traveller Movement, 4-5 Eustace Street, Dublin 2.

Closing date for applications is Tuesday May 7th 2024 no later than 5pm.

Shortlisting will take place shortly thereafter and candidates will be informed as soon as possible. Previous applicants will not be considered.

Face to face in person interviews will be held during the week of May 13th

For any queries contact Andrew Chapple - 085 - 712 - 4456 .

The Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) was founded in 1990 and is a national membership organisation representing Travellers and Traveller organisations across Ireland. ITM works collectively to represent the views of Travellers and Traveller organisations at a national and international level. We develop policies and innovative ways to bring about change for Travellers in Ireland.

One of our core principles is to challenge the racism that Travellers face in Ireland. We work to challenge the inequalities faced by Travellers by promoting Traveller participation and leadership locally and nationally, by developing and sharing best practice, developing evidence-based research to inform our work and building strategic alliances with all who are committed to equality and human rights.

The Irish Traveller Movement’s ITM Strategic Plan 2023-2027 was launched in October 2022. This plan was developed following in-depth consultation and dialogue with our membership of 35+ local and national Traveller organisations. Our members identified employment as a priority to address within the strategy, involving a comprehensive national policy to support Travellers in these areas of employment .

The role of the Manager of the Traveller Apprenticeship Programme

This person would be employed by the Irish Traveller Movement to support the delivery of the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme.

As the Manager of the Traveller Apprenticeship, you will play a pivotal role in the successful implementation and management of our groundbreaking initiative. Your primary responsibility will be to oversee the coordination of outreach workers, employer support workers, and administration staff, ensuring seamless collaboration and efficient operation of the programme.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategies for the effective delivery of the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme.
• Develop relationships with a range of allies and support organisations to further enhance the delivery of the programme.
• Create opportunities to raise awareness of the programme e.g. speaking opportunities, published articles etc.
• Ensure compliance with reporting guidelines, timelines, and objectives as set out by funders.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to continuously improve the programme based on feedback and outcomes.
• Supervise and lead a team of outreach workers, employer support workers, and administration staff.
• Conduct regular team meetings to ensure effective communication and coordination.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with key stakeholders, including Traveller community leaders, employers, unions and educational institutions etc.
• Provide guidance to employers on creating an inclusive and supportive environment for Traveller apprentices.
• Oversee administrative processes related to the programme, ensuring accurate record-keeping and reporting.
• Work with the manager to secure funding for the continued roll out of the Apprenticeship programme.
• Manage budgetary responsibilities, including resource allocation and expenditure tracking.
• Report to the Project Advisory Group, with additional reporting responsibilities to the ITM.
• Fulfill reporting requirements attached to the Dormant Accounts Fund and other reporting requirements of the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) or the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS).
• Perform such other duties as appropriate to the post that may be assigned to you by your line manager from time to time.

Knowledge, skills and experience required:

• Extensive and demonstrable knowledge of the issues facing Travellers, a commitment to human rights and equality and working to community development principles and practices.
• Community Development qualification or five years’ experience working in this field.
• Five years’ experience of project management with ability to manage multiple projects.
• Very good IT skills and the ability to use a range of online tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and facilitation skills.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of specialist and non-specialist audiences of diverse backgrounds and political views.
• Experience managing budgets and working with funders (e.g. preparing and submitting grant applications and reporting).
• Strong organisation and development skills.
• Clear understanding of the challenges faced by Travellers in accessing apprenticeship opportunities, general education and training, and employment opportunities.
• Ability to travel throughout Ireland to meet with our membership and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to contribute to the overall work of the Irish Traveller Movement.
• Knowledge of databases, with experience of any client management database system.
• Commitment to social justice and to equality.
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.

Employer details and location:

The role will be located within the Irish Traveller Movement. The successful candidate will be officially based in their offices, in accordance with their hybrid working policy, but will be required to travel around the country to fulfill the role.

The successful candidate will be employed by the organisation and subject to their employment terms and conditions.

The Irish Traveller Movement is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from the Traveller Community and other minorities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Anti-Traveller Racism

Sadly, part of Travellers’ daily lives is their experience of racism- denial of their identity, direct discrimination and indirect discrimination. While this does not define Travellers the belief that Travellers are not a separate ethnic group and attempts to stop Travellers being Travellers is the key driver that creates the issues Travellers face in Ireland today, in terms of accommodation, education, employment, health (and mental health).

What is Racism? Racism is a belief that one group of people is superior to another. It accounts for people believing that differences in character or ability are due to someone’s ethnicity. It can manifest itself in both individual and institutional forms. Individual racism is often easier to establish.

Individual Racism At a simple level, individual racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different ethnicity based on the belief that one’s own ethnicity is superior. For individual acts of anti-Traveller racism, examples would be:

• Denying Travellers access to a pub or shop,
• On-line hate-speech,
• Physical or emotional abuse based on someone’s identity
• Traveller children being bullied in schools,
• Travellers not being called for interview for jobs based on their address
• Non-Travellers campaigning against sites being built in their locality

Individual racism can, in theory, be challenged by legal means, for example by the Equal Status Act (see below)

Institutional or Structural Racism Institutional racism is more complex, and often harder to identify and its impact is more far wide-reaching. It requires larger strategies to challenge it and overcome it. This defines racism as:

An institutionalised system of power. It encompasses a web of economic, political, social, and cultural structures, actions, and beliefs that systemize and ensure an unequal distribution of privilege, resources and power in favour of the dominant racial group at the expense of other racial groups.

Examples of institutional or structural racism would be where systems or practices are put in place which intentionally or unintentionally ensure that Travellers cannot achieve equality or remain outside the system, which has its benefits directly or indirectly for those who manage the system. Examples of institutional racism are:

• Denial of Traveller ethnicity
• The absence of Traveller culture, in for example, the education system
• Development of laws which criminalise Traveller culture: control of horses act, market trading act, housing miscellaneous provisions (nomadism) act
• Lack of political will to deliver on Traveller accommodation
• Travellers being unable to get jobs due to lack of education opportunities

Institutionalised racism results from policies that dominant groups’ culture as being superior, including paternalistic views that there is a “right” way for people to live, including assimilation policies.

Internalised racism/Internalised Oppression Internalised racism results from the impact of institutional racism whereby members of a minority group, individually and collectively, start to believe and internalise values of racism. It results in negative self-images, low expectations of people themselves but also of their community. Thomas Mc Cann in a presentation at the ITM AGM in 2012 said that “We struggle with this internalised oppression every day of our lives until we liberate ourselves from it.” Click here to read the Presentation in Full (link to Thomas Mc Cann presentation in publications and resources).

Internalised racism results in Travellers turning inward, that the non-Travellers are superior and that racism is acceptable (that those experiencing racism “deserve” it). Internalised oppression /racism has huge impacts on how people view themselves and people’s mental health, which naturally can have a huge impact in how people deal with conflict.

Thomas Mc Cann identifies that “Reducing the impact of internalised racism and oppression results in feeling much better about ourselves, our family and also about our community.”

At the core of anti-Traveller racism is the assumption that nomadism is not a valid way of life. The State response has been to outlaw it and measures taken have been to “assimilate/absorb” Travellers- to stop Travellers being who they are: the dominant powers view Travellers as “less than” settled people, as people who need to become something else (which can easily be defined as cultural genocide)

If anti-Traveller racism views Traveller identity as inferior, the next stage is denial of that identity and the assimilation of Travellers (see diagram). Assimilation is an institutional response to ethnicity denial, which leads to the issues we see today. From this what is often referred to as “Failure in delivery” of accommodation, is in fact, a successful policy of identity denial and anti-Traveller racism.

History of Anti-Traveller Racism Anti-Traveller racism is a huge problem which has its roots in history. Traveller organisations tend to focus our analysis on the Commission on Itinerancy (link to the ITM review of the Commission in Publications & resources section) as the root of all anti-Traveller racism and flawed State response. However, most historians would argue that the divide between Traveller & non-Travellers that goes further back, before the formation of the State. Similar clashes of culture between nomadic and sedentary people can be seen all across the globe.

If you have nomadic people who view land as a collective resource, in shared ownership (“commons”) there always will be conflict once people enclose land, restricting it for personal or family use (which began in the 16th Century, often by force, and is heavily linked with industrialism in the 19th Century).

With the rise of nationalism in the late 19th Century in Ireland and in Europe, defining who “belongs” in a Nation becomes a topic of intense debate. Nationality needed to be “invented”, creating a common bond of people to be united in one country. This process of identifying who the “folk” are for one nation inevitably leaves groups outside who become “others” who are not identified with the emerging nation states. In Ireland, the history of the nation has to be invented, by creating a sense of a unified people, who are linked with the land as farmers, tenants and share an identity based on this. Travellers, who aren’t linked as traditional landowners are always going to be viewed with distrust based on this distinction.

Much of the marginalisation of Travellers from the settled population results from loss of common lands and the fundamental differences in how sedentary and nomadic people view land use. These differences were exacerbated by rapid changes to Irish society in the 1960s including the mechanisation of farming, the cheap availability of plastic and rapid industrialisation, which proved to have huge consequences for Travellers. These changes resulted in the loss of defined roles which not only provided income and status for Travellers within Irish society but also supported nomadism as an expression of identity.

From the 1960s onwards, many Travellers, like many settled people, moved en masse from rural areas to urban centres in search of work in jobs where they lacked skills. Traveller families living in camps in cities and towns were viewed as “problems” which, to use the parlance of the government’s 1960-1963 Commission on Itinerancy, would be solved through “absorption” into Irish society. The policy was to restrict opportunities for nomadism and permanently “settle” Travellers.

State policy focussed not on the needs of Travellers and how best they could be supported to build on their skills to provide for themselves and contribute to society, but on a misguided approach, at best a paternalistic charitable model, at worst a deeply racist one, which viewed a nomadic way of life as an anachronism and provided charity and welfare, not education and jobs.

State policy focussed not on the needs of Travellers and how best they could be supported to build on their skills to provide for themselves and contribute to society, but on a misguided approach, at best a paternalistic charitable model, at worst a deeply racist one, which viewed a nomadic way of life as an anachronism and provided charity and welfare, not education and jobs. This approach that limited expectations for Travellers in education solely to their receiving religious sacraments condemned many Travellers to further dependency on welfare, charity and intergenerational unemployment and propelled some into lives of crime.

This deep-rooted anti-Traveller racism, coupled with the loss of Traveller’s traditional roles from the 1960s onwards (and the fact that Travellers did not have numbers in one area to elect their own representatives) led to assimilation policies to try and “solve the Traveller problem” (link to ITM review of Commission doc). As we can see these failed policies led to two processes which are mutually reinforcing, which Traveller groups can see in continued effect today

Challenging Racism- what can people do? What steps can be taken? For information on how to take an equality case to the Workplace Relations Commission, visit their website or download the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission (IHREC) guide to the equal status act here .

The Irish Traveller Movement legal pack also has steps on how to enforce your rights which can be downloaded from our publication section here (link to key reports part of resources & publications)

The ITM and ENAR Ireland have produced a guide to reporting racism on Facebook which can be downloaded here (link to key reports)

iReport is a reporting system for the people, communities and organisations of Ireland to document racist incidents that are occurring nationwide which is organised by ENAR Ireland. ITM as a member of ENAR encourages Travellers to log all instances of anti-Traveller racism with iReport

Challenging Racism at an institutional level Challenging institutional racism is much more complex as it is based on creating a respect for Traveller culture, recognition of Traveller ethnicity and creating new policies (or undoing old ones) which would build trust between Travellers and non-Travellers, by delivering services that promoted an inclusive, equal society. This work has always been at the core of ITM- Ethnicity recognition (link to Traveller ethnicity page) and building an intercultural society.

• Traveller Homes Matter
• Anti Racism & Interculturalism – Key Issues

Irish Traveller Movement

The Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) is a national membership organisation representing Travellers and Traveller organisations across Ireland. 

ITM works collectively to represent the views of Travellers and to develop policies, actions, and innovative programmes to bring about change for Travellers in Ireland.

In 2019, the ITM Young Travellers Forum was established to bring young Travellers together to facilitate dialogue, meaningful participation, empowerment, and leadership.

Contact Details

Irish Traveller Movement 4/5 Eustace Street Dublin 2

T: +353 1 679 6578

E: [email protected]

W: www.itmtrav.ie

Privacy Overview

Carmel Walsh is the Youth Work Services Manager at Belong To, responsible for strategic planning and delivery of LGBTQ+ Youth Work in Dublin, as well as overseeing the Family Support Service and the National Network of LGBTQ+ youth groups in Ireland. With a strong background in youth work and European funding, Carmel brings extensive expertise in strategic implementation, research initiatives, and cooperation projects to enhance the quality of youth work for LGBTQ+ young people.

Michael Power is CEO of Involve Youth and Community Service, having worked within the organisation since 2008 where he held a senior role in the organisations national publication, Travellers’ Voice Magazine. In Michael’s time as Manager of the Travellers’ Voice CSP, he has brought to fruition various campaigns which highlighted Travellers in education and various employment settings in order to dispel the often negative stereotypes associated with the community. His most recent education campaign, “Degrees Ahead”, highlighted Travellers in third level education and the various paths to continued and adult education. He has also ensured the publication has become a platform for lesser heard voices within the community, highlighting individual’s achieving above and beyond the expectations imposed on them.

In Michael’s time as CEO he has been responsible for the development of Involves latest strategic plan which aims to improve the work of the organisation in the areas of Youth Mental Health and Employment, as well as putting in place structures to improve the collaborative work of the organisation to highlight and challenge educational disadvantages for the Traveller community.

Michael is a member of the Traveller community, and brings first-hand experience of the benefits of youth work in influencing future development. Throughout his career with Involve, Michael has developed extensive experience in the youth sector which brings together his love of working with young people and his passion for the rights of his community and marginalised people.

Dear [constituency] TDs, We are constituents from [Constituency] who are calling on you to support young people in Budget 2024 by investing €9.4 million in young people and youth work. It is a hard time for young people. COVID-19 impacted their mental health and social connections, and now, the cost-of-living crisis means many are struggling financially. Youth work organisations say that deprivation among young people they work with is on the rise, and the need for youth services is growing dramatically as young people and their communities feel the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.  Youth workers are often a lifeline for young people, particularly for those who have the least. The wide range of activities provided by youth organisations support young people in their personal and social development, positive mental health, physical wellbeing, job skills and much more.   The rising cost of living is also placing a huge strain on youth work organisations themselves. A recent survey by the National Youth Council of Ireland revealed that nearly 3 in 5 organisations struggle to deliver vital youth work services because of inflation.  The Government must provide the necessary resources for these organisations to meet the growing needs of young people in [Constituency], and to provide an Ireland where young people can live, grow, and flourish. That is why we are supporting the National Youth Council of Ireland in calling on the Government to invest an additional €9.4m in youth work services in Budget 2024, to provide more supports and activities for young people and meet the needs of our growing youth population. The NYCI and its members across the country believe this increase is needed to help ensure the sustainability of the sector, and deal with current challenges facing many services. We request that you act on this call and use whatever avenues available to you to ensure that we see a Budget 2024 that invests in our young people. Your constituents, [Your names]

I have over 30 years experience in the voluntary Youth Work and Youth Sector in Ireland.

I am currently the Volunteer Development Manager with Forόige. In this role I am responsible for key tasks such as managing, developing and supporting the involvement of thousands of Forόige volunteers in all aspects of the organisation. I also lead on the design, dissemination and implementation of best practice standards in volunteer recruitment, management and retention policies and procedures. I am a member of Foróige’s child safeguarding and protection internal working group. I also was a member of the Ministerial advisory group for development of the National Volunteering Strategy, launched in late 2020, and I am currently on the communications working group for the role out of the strategy.

I believe that youth work’s essential role in young people’s lives has been made all the more obvious as a result of the pandemic. The restrictions caused by the need to protect vulnerable people in particular from COVID 19, were imposed on young people without them having any say in the matter. They became takes of others rules and priorities, without input or choice. This, while necessary at the time, is the exact opposite of what we want for young people. We want them to be heard, to be helped to develop their own views and values (not just absorb ours). We want them to be involved in decisions that impact on them and to feel they have an influence, with which comes connection to society and hope for the future. The National Youth Council of Ireland plays a huge role in representing the shared interests of the organisations who are its members. These organisations, large and small, bring a range of youth work approaches arising from various traditions and a focus on particular youth needs. The diversity of organisations provides choice and opportunity for young people to pursue their own interests.

This diversity presents a challenge too, in identifying and agreeing their shared interests on which NYCI can represent, advocate and influence. This calls for a president who will listen support, facilitate. It calls for an NYCI which is effective, well governed and compliant with all relevant governance and financial, management requirements.

I believe I have the necessary skills for this role from my role in Foróige and my previous experience on the board of NYCI, including a term as its vice president. I am aware of the need to represent negotiate, assert firmly but respectfully, to act together in seeking to influence government departments and politicians. I understand the need for a strong working relationship between president and CEO.

Nicola has been involved in Girl Guiding for over 44 years and has been employed in the CGI National Office in Dublin since 2013. Nicola has also been a volunteer leader with CGI in Wexford for the last 19 years.

In her role as National Office Coordinator, Nicola works closely with the NYCI and members of other youth organisations, through the Specialist Organisations Network and represents CGI at numerous meetings. Nicola also attends meetings with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs representing the uniformed bodies of the Youth Work Electoral College.

Nicola has held voluntary positions within CGI of National Secretary and National Commissioner for Ranger Guides and was a member of the National Executive Board. Nicola continues to attend CGI Board meetings in her current role.

Before moving to Ireland, Nicola worked for the UK Government and the Environment Agency in the nuclear industry regulation division and was also a youth member and then volunteer with the Guide Association UK.

I am currently a Senior Manager with Crosscare Youth Services with over 20 years’ experience having started my youth work career in CYC in January 2000, and was part of the merger with Crosscare in 2013. I line-manage our 6 Dublin West and East Wicklow youth projects, and also have responsibility for Youth Information and Outdoor Learning in Crosscare.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies from Maynooth University, and last year I completed a masters qualification, gaining a (MSc) Master of Science in Innovation & Strategy in the Maynooth Business School. I feel there is a need to be innovative and strategic in future plans for the sector, as we seek to be sustainable and receive full cost recovery for the delivery of quality youth services.

I am currently a member of the Board of Adamstown Youth and Community Centre. This is in an area with broad cultural diversity and we are trying to develop some youth provision in this under-resourced area. We were recently approved for a new part-time youth worker and a dedicated Youth Diversion Project for Adamstown, to increase the Lucan Boundary. Greg has been a NYCI Board member for the last 3 years.

Eve is an active leader in her locality currently working with girls between the ages of 5 and 7, and previously worked with Irish Girl Guides’ older branch for 10- to 14-year-olds. Eve has previously represented Irish Girl Guides at the Erasmus+; Get Active! Human rights education among young people workshop.

In addition, Eve sat on the Membership, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee for Irish Girl Guides. Eve is a primary school teacher and focused her college dissertation on the impact of period poverty in schools. Eve has been a NYCI Board member since 2021.

Claire Anderson has been working with Scouting Ireland since October 2020 in the role of Communications Officer. She is an experienced journalist, marketing manager and communications expert. Claire graduated with an MA in Journalism and New Media in 2015. She is based in Cork and has worked with several high-profile businesses including the Irish Examiner. Working in marketing communications from 2017, Claire has created and implemented advertising and communications strategy for company expansion into eight new markets. She has worked closely with colleagues to build effective communication practices and systems. She has managed all content production from production to publishing and most recently developed a new central website for Scouting Ireland. Claire has over seven years of experience leading content production and successful marketing campaigns. She completed a Diploma in User Experience and User Interface Design this year. She also runs her own marketing business. Claire has been involved in dance since she was a child and is a keen supporter of the arts. She has volunteered with Cork Feminista and Husky Rescue Ireland, however, she is not actively volunteering at present. Claire lives in the countryside with her partner, dog, cats and hens. She enjoys sea swimming and hiking in her spare time as well as training for her first 10k race.

Mick Ferron is currently the Regional Youth Services Manager with Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service.

Qualifications: BA Social Science from UCD Higher Diploma in Youth and Community work from NUI Maynooth.

Sphere 17 is a community-based regional youth service covering Dublin 17 and the Kilbarrack area of North Dublin. The service operates from four different youth centres in the catchment area providing a range of different programmes, activities and support for young people 10-24 years. Sphere 17 believes all young people can achieve great things. Their mission is to support young people to be the best that they can be, and they do this in different ways for different young people, as they need it, through the varied services provided.

In addition to the UBU funded youth service activity, Sphere 17, in collaboration with local partners, also provides a youth counselling service – The Listen Project, manages the Woodale Youth Justice Project, and is the lead organisation behind Creative Places Darndale.

Prior to his 16 years in management with Sphere 17, Mick has worked in community-based youth service provision in Ballyfermot and in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. He has also worked in the homeless sector, and in a drugs education project in Cork.

Originally from Canada, David Backhouse has been an active youth worker in Ireland since 2008. Chiefly through the YMCA, his involvement in many youth and community initiatives has brought him into partnership with Léargas, Cork City and County Councils, Irish Aid, CDYS, Youth Information, SpunOut, Comhairle ná nÓg, Foróige, Hub ná nÓg, Youth Work Ireland, CYPSC and many other local arts and community associations.

In 2016 David took up the role of Cork Regional Director for YMCA and in November 2019, began his current role as Deputy National Secretary, responsible for YMCA Ireland operations in the Republic of Ireland as well as providing support to all YMCA agencies north and south. He is passionate about Youth Participation, Creative Methodologies and the provision of high quality, well supported professional youth services to those in Ireland most in need.

Rose Marie Maughan Is the National Traveller Youth Programme Coordinator with the Irish Traveller Movement. She has been working in the Irish Traveller Movement since 2004 on a local, regional, national and international level in different capacities such as Board member, National Accommodation Officer, Membership Officer, Education Officer, Project coordinator.

She has both a lived experience of being a young Traveller in Ireland and issues facing young Traveller youth today alongside an in-depth analysis of youth work and issues facing the sector. She strongly believes in youth’s right to self-determination and meaningful participiation in finding solutions to issues affecting their lives.

In her current role as National Traveller Programme Coordinator, she is overseeing the implementation of the Irish Traveller Movement’s Traveller Youth 5yr strategy working towards giving Traveller Youth a voice in all sectors of society.

Garry McHugh is National Director of Young Irish Film Makers, Ireland’s national youth film organisation. Responsible for strategic planning, fund raising, artistic and programme development. Managing partnerships with national funding bodies such as the Arts Council, Dept. of Children & Youth Affairs, Screen Ireland and the Education & Training Board.

Since taking over the National Development of the organisation in 2014, Garry has worked with the team at YIFM to grow the capacity of YIFM programmes to work with double the number of young people over the past five years, delivering five times the number of contact hours with participants. Young Irish Film Makers now work with over 1500 young people annually across Ireland through the youth arts practice of film and animation. Demand is continuing to grow as YIFM film making and animation workshops are recognised for their ability to deliver high quality outcomes for young people from all backgrounds.

Garry is heavily involved in the programme design and delivery of informal education workshops delivering quality personal, social and creative outcomes for young people across Ireland. With a focus on film and animation workshops for secondary schools, youth development agencies and youth workers nationwide.

Before he became involved in youth development and youth arts work, Garry was a professional filmmaker, musician and enjoyed treading the boards as an actor. He believes this grounding in the creative industries led him to where he works now, with young people through youth film programmes. He has twenty five years of experience in film production, broadcast radio and informal education & training. His CV ranges from corporate communications and music video production to training and informal education programmes in film, animation and digital media production.

My experience comes from my many years within the Irish Second-Level Students Union, chiefly as president during 2020-21 where I represented student’s throughout the covid-19 pandemic, working with the Department of Education and education stakeholders as part of the State exams Advisory group to do what was best for our young people through an extremely challenging time.

My other experience across other organisations such at Spuntout.ie national action panel or partnering with other organisations here such as ICTU on young workers rights gives me the necessary experience to bring a new perspective to the governance of the NYCI.

I have been a representative of young people for the last 5 years at a local, regional national and international level – with my particular focus on youth representing and how that can be best achieved – I hope you can put your confidence in me to work as a member of the NYCI board to deliver this for you and continue the outstanding work of the NYCI.

Niamh Quinn is a Manager with Foróige. Niamh has extensive direct youth work and management experience within the youth work and non formal education sector. With Forόige since 2004, Niamh’s previous roles include Outreach Youth Officer working with young people aged 14 – 18 years most at risk; Senior Youth Officer and Acting Area Manager.

Niamh’s current role is supporting the development, roll out and delivery of CPD training and processes for the national School Completion Programme.

Niamh is the current Vice President of NYCI. Niamh is also the current Chair of the NYCI HR & Governance Sub Committee.

Niamh is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin.

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• On the Move: The Transportation Revolution

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation
• Identify the ways in which roads, canals, and railroads impacted Americans’ lives in the nineteenth century

Americans in the early 1800s were a people on the move, as thousands left the eastern coastal states for opportunities in the West. Unlike their predecessors, who traveled by foot or wagon train, these settlers had new transport options. Their trek was made possible by the construction of roads, canals, and railroads, projects that required the funding of the federal government and the states.

New technologies, like the steamship and railroad lines, had brought about what historians call the transportation revolution. States competed for the honor of having the most advanced transport systems. People celebrated the transformation of the wilderness into an orderly world of improvement demonstrating the steady march of progress and the greatness of the republic. In 1817, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina looked to a future of rapid internal improvements, declaring, “Let us . . . bind the Republic together with a perfect system of roads and canals.” Americans agreed that internal transportation routes would promote progress. By the eve of the Civil War, the United States had moved beyond roads and canals to a well-established and extensive system of railroads.

ROADS AND CANALS

One key part of the transportation revolution was the widespread building of roads and turnpikes. In 1811, construction began on the Cumberland Road , a national highway that provided thousands with a route from Maryland to Illinois. The federal government funded this important artery to the West, beginning the creation of a transportation infrastructure for the benefit of settlers and farmers. Other entities built turnpikes, which (as today) charged fees for use. New York State, for instance, chartered turnpike companies that dramatically increased the miles of state roads from one thousand in 1810 to four thousand by 1820. New York led the way in building turnpikes.

Canal mania swept the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century. Promoters knew these artificial rivers could save travelers immense amounts of time and money. Even short waterways, such as the two-and-a-half-mile canal going around the rapids of the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky, proved a huge leap forward, in this case by opening a water route from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. The preeminent example was the Erie Canal , which linked the Hudson River, and thus New York City and the Atlantic seaboard, to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Valley.

Although the Erie Canal was primarily used for commerce and trade, in Pittsford on the Erie Canal (1837), George Harvey portrays it in a pastoral, natural setting. Why do you think the painter chose to portray the canal this way?

With its central location, large harbor, and access to the hinterland via the Hudson River, New York City already commanded the lion’s share of commerce. Still, the city’s merchants worried about losing ground to their competitors in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Their search for commercial advantage led to the dream of creating a water highway connecting the city’s Hudson River to Lake Erie and markets in the West. The result was the Erie Canal. Chartered in 1817 by the state of New York, the canal took seven years to complete. When it opened in 1825, it dramatically decreased the cost of shipping while reducing the time to travel to the West. Soon $15 million worth of goods (more than $200 million in today’s money) was being transported on the 363-mile waterway every year.

The success of the Erie Canal led to other, similar projects. The Wabash and Erie Canal, which opened in the early 1840s, stretched over 450 miles, making it the longest canal in North America. Canals added immensely to the country’s sense of progress. Indeed, they appeared to be the logical next step in the process of transforming wilderness into civilization.

This map (a) shows the route taken by the Wabash and Erie Canal through the state of Indiana. The canal began operation in 1843 and boats operated on it until the 1870s. Sections have since been restored, as shown in this 2007 photo (b) from Delphi, Indiana.

As with highway projects such as the Cumberland Road, many canals were federally sponsored, especially during the presidency of John Quincy Adams in the late 1820s. Adams, along with Secretary of State Henry Clay, championed what was known as the American System, part of which included plans for a broad range of internal transportation improvements. Adams endorsed the creation of roads and canals to facilitate commerce and develop markets for agriculture as well as to advance settlement in the West.

Starting in the late 1820s, steam locomotives began to compete with horse-drawn locomotives. The railroads with steam locomotives offered a new mode of transportation that fascinated citizens, buoying their optimistic view of the possibilities of technological progress. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was the first to begin service with a steam locomotive. Its inaugural train ran in 1831 on a track outside Albany and covered twelve miles in twenty-five minutes. Soon it was traveling regularly between Albany and Schenectady.

Toward the middle of the century, railroad construction kicked into high gear, and eager investors quickly formed a number of railroad companies. As a railroad grid began to take shape, it stimulated a greater demand for coal, iron, and steel. Soon, both railroads and canals crisscrossed the states, providing a transportation infrastructure that fueled the growth of American commerce. Indeed, the transportation revolution led to development in the coal, iron, and steel industries, providing many Americans with new job opportunities.

This 1853 map of the “Empire State” shows the extent of New York’s canal and railroad networks. The entire country’s transportation infrastructure grew dramatically during the first half of the nineteenth century.

AMERICANS ON THE MOVE

The expansion of roads, canals, and railroads changed people’s lives. In 1786, it had taken a minimum of four days to travel from Boston, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island. By 1840, the trip took half a day on a train. In the twenty-first century, this may seem intolerably slow, but people at the time were amazed by the railroad’s speed. Its average of twenty miles per hour was twice as fast as other available modes of transportation.

By 1840, more than three thousand miles of canals had been dug in the United States, and thirty thousand miles of railroad track had been laid by the beginning of the Civil War. Together with the hundreds of steamboats that plied American rivers, these advances in transportation made it easier and less expensive to ship agricultural products from the West to feed people in eastern cities, and to send manufactured goods from the East to people in the West. Without this ability to transport goods, the market revolution would not have been possible. Rural families also became less isolated as a result of the transportation revolution. Traveling circuses, menageries, peddlers, and itinerant painters could now more easily make their way into rural districts, and people in search of work found cities and mill towns within their reach.

Section Summary

A transportation infrastructure rapidly took shape in the 1800s as American investors and the government began building roads, turnpikes, canals, and railroads. The time required to travel shrank vastly, and people marveled at their ability to conquer great distances, enhancing their sense of the steady advance of progress. The transportation revolution also made it possible to ship agricultural and manufactured goods throughout the country and enabled rural people to travel to towns and cities for employment opportunities.

Review Question

• What were the benefits of the transportation revolution?

Answer to Review Question

• The Cumberland Road made transportation to the West easier for new settlers. The Erie Canal facilitated trade with the West by connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie. Railroads shortened transportation times throughout the country, making it easier and less expensive to move people and goods.

Cumberland Road  a national highway that provided thousands with a route from Maryland to Illinois

Erie Canal  a canal that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie and markets in the West

Mohawk and Hudson Railroad  the first steam-powered locomotive railroad in the United States

• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (Materials Available with Log In)

• Powerpoints
• Quiz Inventory

The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492

• Introduction
• The Americas
• Video: The Black Legend, Native Americans, and Spaniards
• Europe on the Brink of Change
• West Africa and the Role of Slavery

Early Globalization: The Atlantic World, 1492-1650

• Portuguese Exploration and Spanish Conquest
• Religious Upheavals in the Developing Atlantic World
• Challenges to Spain’s Supremacy
• New Worlds in the Americas: Labor, Commerce, and the Columbian Exchange

Age of Empire: American Foreign Policy, 1890-1914

• Turner, Mahan, and the Roots of Empire
• The Spanish-American War and Overseas Empire
• Economic Imperialism in East Asia
• Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Foreign Policy
• Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”
• Video: American Imperialism

Creating New Social Orders: Colonial Societies, 1500-1700

• Spanish Exploration and Colonial Society
• Colonial Rivalries: Dutch and French Colonial Ambitions
• English Settlements in America
• Video: When is Thanksgiving? Colonizing America
• Video: The Natives and the English
• The Impact of Colonization

Rule Britannia! The English Empire, 1660-1763

• Charles II and the Restoration Colonies
• The Glorious Revolution and the English Empire
• An Empire of Slavery and the Consumer Revolution
• Great Awakening and Enlightenment
• Wars for Empire
• Video: The Seven Years War and the Great Awakening

Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests, 1763-1774

• Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian War
• The Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty
• The Townshend Acts and Colonial Protest
• The Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive Acts
• Video: Taxes & Smuggling - Prelude to Revolution
• Disaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity

America's War for Independence, 1775-1783

• Britain’s Law-and-Order Strategy and Its Consequences
• The Early Years of the Revolution
• War in the South
• Identity during the American Revolution
• Video: Who Won the American Revolution?

Creating Republican Governments, 1776-1783

• Common Sense: From Monarchy to an American Republic
• How Much Revolutionary Change?
• Debating Democracy
• The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution
• Video: The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism
• Video: Where US Politics Came From

Growing Pains: The New Republic, 1790-1820

• Competing Visions: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
• The New American Republic
• Partisan Politics
• Video: Thomas Jefferson & His Democracy
• The United States Goes Back to War
• Video: The War of 1812

Industrial Transformation in the North: 1800-1850

• Early Industrialization in the Northeast
• Video: The Market Revolution
• A Vibrant Capitalist Republic
• A New Social Order: Class Divisions

Jacksonian Democracy, 1820-1840

• A New Political Style: From John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson
• The Rise of American Democracy
• The Nullification Crisis and the Bank War
• Video: Age of Jackson
• Indian Removal
• The Tyranny and Triumph of the Majority

A Nation on the Move: Westward Expansion, 1800-1860

• Lewis and Clark
• The Missouri Crisis
• Independence for Texas
• The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
• Video: War & Expansion
• Free Soil or Slave? The Dilemma of the West

Cotton is King: The Antebellum South, 1800-1860

• The Economics of Cotton
• African Americans in the Antebellum United States
• Video: Slavery
• Wealth and Culture in the South
• The Filibuster and the Quest for New Slave States

Antebellum Idealism and Reform Impulses, 1820-1860

• An Awakening of Religion and Individualism
• Video: 19th Century Reforms
• Antebellum Communal Experiments
• Reforms to Human Health
• Addressing Slavery
• Women’s Rights
• Video: Women in the 19th Century

Troubled Times: The Tumultuous 1850s

• The Compromise of 1850
• The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Republican Party
• John Brown and the Election of 1860
• Video: The Election of 1860 & the Road to Disunion
• The Dred Scott Decision and Sectional Strife

The Civil War, 1860-1865

• The Origins and Outbreak of the Civil War
• Early Mobilization and War
• Video: Battles of the Civil War
• 1863: The Changing Nature of the War
• The Union Triumphant
• Videos: The Civil War
• The Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution of the United States
• Presidents of the United States of America
• U.S. Political Map
• U.S. Topographical Map
• United States Population Chart
• Further Reading

On the Move: The Transportation Revolution by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Except where expressly noted otherwise, the contents of this course are based on materials originally published by OpenStax College under a  Creative Commons Attribution License . Download the original material for free at  http://cnx.org/content/col11407/latest . If you believe this page violates your copyright, please  contact us .

Cover Image: Flags in the Inauguration Crowd, Jeff Myers, https://www.flickr.com/photos/binarydreams/3216159329

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