The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Was a Political Symbol in 19th Century New York
By Robert McNamara
19th Century History Expert
The history of the St. Patrick’s Day parade began with modest 
gatherings in the streets of colonial America. And throughout the 19th century, large public celebrations to mark St. Patrick’s Day became potent political symbols.
And while the legend of St. Patrick has ancient roots in Ireland, the modern notion of St. Patrick’s Day came into being in American cities in the 1800s.
Roots of the Parade In Colonial America
According to legend, the earliest celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in America took place in Boston in 1737, when colonists of Irish descent marked the event with a modest parade.
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