In 1858, the Fenian Brotherhood was founded in New York City by Irish-American nationalists, led by John O'Mahony, as the American counterpart to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Fenian Brotherhood raised funds and recruited volunteers for the cause of Irish independence, and it played a key role in the Fenian Rising of 1867. The Brotherhood's transatlantic network demonstrated the global reach of Irish nationalism and the importance of the Irish diaspora.

The Fenian Brotherhood is a subject of celebratory poetry in the Irish-American tradition, with poets hailing the organization as a beacon of hope for Ireland. The Brotherhood's fundraising and recruitment efforts are often compared to the earlier efforts of the United Irishmen. The poetry of the Fenian movement reflects the romanticism of the revolutionary exile, a theme that would persist in Irish-American literature.