Ethnic groups in Syracuse, New York facts for kids

The city of Syracuse started as a land of swamps and forests. It was near a clear, freshwater lake in the Finger Lakes Region. The original people of this land were the Haudensaunee, also known as the Onondaga Nation. They were part of the Iroquois Confederacy, which covered much of Upstate New York.

Over 400 years, many different groups of people came to the Central New York area. These included people from African, Asian, British, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Lebanese, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, Polish, Assyrian, Ukrainian, and Welsh backgrounds.

A City of Many Cultures

The first white people to arrive in Onondaga County were French missionaries. The English came soon after. Today, the largest groups of people in Syracuse include African American (27.9%), Irish (15.9%), Italian (14.1%), German (12.2%), and English (7.6%).

African Americans in Syracuse

Syracuse's Black community began in the early 1800s. This was when the first African slave settled in the area.

Syracuse was a very active place for the abolitionist movement. This movement worked to end slavery. Important people like Gerrit Smith and Reverend Samuel May from the Unitarian Church helped a lot. Quakers in nearby Skaneateles also supported this cause.

Before the Civil War, Syracuse was known as a main stop on the "Underground Railroad". This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. Jermain Wesley Loguen and others bravely helped people escape.

On October 1, 1851, a freed slave named William Henry, or "Jerry," was arrested. He was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law, which said escaped slaves had to be returned. A group of abolitionists, including Charles Augustus Wheaton, broke into the city jail. They freed Jerry. This event became famous as the "Jerry Rescue".

By 2010, about 31% of Syracuse's population was of African descent.

British Influence in Syracuse

The British became interested in the land around Onondaga Lake in the early 1700s. They became friends with the Onondagas. They gave them guns, which were very valuable.

A British agent named William Johnson bought a large area of land. It was about 200,000 acres (809,371 square meters). This land was in the Mohawk country. In 1751, Johnson heard that the French wanted to build a military post near some salt springs. He talked to the Onondagas about this. He suggested they give him rights to all of Onondaga Lake and a two-mile strip of land around it. The Onondagas agreed. They were paid £350 sterling.

French Explorers in Syracuse

The first European people to arrive in the Syracuse, New York area were the French. In 1615, Samuel de Champlain attacked the Oneidas. He had help from the Huron and Algonquian Indians. These tribes were enemies of the Iroquois.

On August 5, 1654, Father Simon LeMoyne arrived. He was a Jesuit missionary. He visited the Onondaga village. During his visit, LeMoyne drank from a spring. The Onondagas thought it was bad because of an evil spirit. But LeMoyne found it was a salt water spring. He returned to Canada with salt he made from the spring water.

German Settlers in Syracuse

German immigrants first settled in the farmlands around Syracuse. This began in the early 1800s. They came from all parts of Germany. This included Alsace, which was then part of France. In the 1820s and 1830s, most came from Southern Germany. These areas included Baden, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Württemberg. These places were badly affected by the Napoleonic War. Later, people arrived from Northern Germany, like Franconia, Lorraine, and Prussia.

By 2010, about 12.2% of Syracuse's population was of German descent.

Greek Community in Syracuse

The Greek population in the United States started to grow in the 1880s. The biggest waves of immigrants came from 1900 to 1920. Most were young men. They hoped to make money and then go back to Greece. However, about 70% ended up staying in America. In the early 1900s, most Greek immigrants were from Laconia. Many came from the city of Sparta in Southern Greece. Since then, immigrants have come from all parts of Greece.

In the 1980 U.S. Census, 1,852 people in Onondaga County said they had Greek heritage.

Irish Heritage in Syracuse

The Irish first came to Onondaga County as soldiers. They were with the English Army during the American Revolutionary War around 1776. However, only a few hundred Irish settled in Onondaga County before the Great Famine from 1848 to 1855.

The first Irish people lived on farms outside the city. Many were from New England. They left their rocky land for better, less crowded land in Onondaga County. More than half of these Irish were Protestant. They farmed their own land. They did not face the same problems as later Irish-Catholic immigrants. Irishmen also worked as farmhands for landowners from New England. By working hard and saving, many could buy land within five to ten years.

From 1848 to 1855, over 5,000 Irish immigrants came to Onondaga County. About 2,000 settled in Syracuse. Immigrants from the same towns in Ireland often settled in the same areas. In Geddes, hundreds from Thurles in County Tipperary settled together.

In the 1820s, the Erie Canal was built. It went from Albany to Buffalo, New York. The Irish were the main workers on this project. Syracuse was in the middle of the canal route. It was seen as the "hub" of the system. After the canal was finished, many Irish settled west of Syracuse. They lived on a hill overlooking the canal on the Far Westside. This area became known as Tipperary Hill. It is a well-known Irish-American neighborhood in the city.

By 2010, about 15.9% of Syracuse's population was of Irish descent.

Italian Immigrants in Syracuse

Italian immigrants came to the Syracuse, New York area in the early 1880s. They had worked on building the West Shore Railroad. This railroad ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, across from New York City. It went north along the Hudson River to Albany, New York. Then it went west to Syracuse and finally to Buffalo. It was built to compete with another railroad. But it was soon taken over by that company.

These immigrants settled on the Northside of Syracuse. This neighborhood along North Salina Street became known as Little Italy.

By 2010, about 14.1% of Syracuse's population was of Italian descent.

The Onondaga Nation

Syracuse is located at the northeast corner of the Finger Lakes Region. It is in Onondaga County in Central New York State. The county and Onondaga Lake were named after the first people who lived there. These were the Onondaga Indians. French missionaries arrived in the 1600s. They founded a mission near the lake.

Ukrainians in Syracuse

Ukrainians in Syracuse, New York arrived in three different waves. They were also three different groups of people. This is because Ukraine had been controlled by different powers, like the Austro-Hungarians. So, each group of Ukrainians was known by different names. This depended on the country that controlled the part of Ukraine where they grew up. Because of this, most Ukrainians who came to America knew little about their own culture. They were raised in the culture of the controlling nation. They were also educated in schools run by those nations.

Syracuse's neighborhoods show how the city's population was historically divided. Ukrainian-Americans traditionally settled in the Near Westside. They lived on streets like West Fayette, Marcellus, Otisco, Geddes, and Delaware. They also settled in the Far Westside near Wilbur and Ulster Streets. Another area was the Westside near the Sacred Heart Church.