The Pete Quiñones Show Pony Express Radio - 03/19/26 - The Irish Question - w/ Thomas777
Mar 20, 2026
Thomas777, commentator and historian who runs Radio Free Chicago, gives a concise mini-bio before diving into Irish history in America. They trace sectarian roots, Ulster Scots migration, and Irish influence in Chicago. Conversations cover arms flows, Cold War immigration policy, organized crime, and neighborhood clannishness. Short, lively, and full of historical storytelling.
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Episode notes
Irish Presence In Early Colonial America
- Early Irish presence in America predates many think and included white slaves and indentured populations during the 17th century migration wave.
- Thomas777 cites White Cargo and suggests many early white slaves were ethnically Irish, swept into colonial labor and servitude.
Thomas777 Shares His Anglo Irish Heritage
- Thomas777 shares personal roots: he identifies as anglo-irish with Huguenot and German ancestry based on his 23andMe results.
- He mentions growing up near Chicago where Irish communities like Beverly and Bridgeport remain prominent.
Anti Catholic Strain In Early American Identity
- Early American identity had a strong anti-Catholic strand tied to Anglo-Saxon mythology in Federalist-era thought.
- Thomas777 points to John Jay and Hamilton and argues that Protestant supremacy shaped sectarian hostility toward Irish Catholics.
