Irish Travelers' Scams

Ireland Starves and Lives to Tell: The Effects of the Great Potato Famine “It must be understood that we cannot feed the people” (Kinealy Calamity 75). The mid 1800s in Ireland were characterized by extreme poverty, death, and emigration. The Great Potato Famine, also known as “The Great Hunger,” first hit in 1845; however, its effects lasted into the 1850s and can still be seen today. Prior to the famine, Irish manufacture and trade was controlled and suppressed by British government, which made Ireland an extremely poor country. Farmers in Ireland were forced to export crops such as corn, wheat, and oats to Britain, which left the potato as the main dietary staple for the people, especially the poor.

After an immense burst of Irish immigration to Great Britain, the British Parliament began to halt Irish migrants from entering the country. Thus, the only other land promising prosperity, liberty and an abundance of food was the United States. The potato crop’s failure caused millions to come to America hoping for a better life. Some never made it to America, others dispersed into Canada, and some died upon arriving in the new land. However, they all contribute to the rich story found herein.

Article reproduced by The Communist Party of Ireland (2004) [Internet]. Available from: [18/4/05] Mackin, James A. (1997). ‘Sacrifice and Moral Hierarchy: The Rhetoric of Irish Republicans, 1916-23’, The American Communications Journal, Volume 1, Issue 3, September 1997. Article reproduced by The American Communications Journal, North Carolina, USA [Internet].

(1998). Irish Immigration. Retrieved January 30, 2003. www.needham.mec.edu/high_school/cur/kane98/kane_p3_immig/Irish/irish.html Dispatch, Rebecca. Potatoes and Politics: the Irish Journey. Retrieved February 9, 2003. www.ustrek.org/odeyssey/semester1/111100/111100beckyirish.html Kinsella, Jim.

Works Cited Bloy, Marjie. The Irish Famine, 1845-9. 11 October 2002. 8 October 2003. <http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/victorian/history/famine.html> Foster, R.F.,ed.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Irish rapidly flowed into the United States. The Irish immigrated in different waves and for various reasons, only to be greeted with significant barriers when landing in America. The Irish were essentially pushed out of Ireland because of the awful economy and the great potato famine. Upon arriving in the United States, the Irish had a difficult time with jobs, discrimination, housing, and money in the populated urban cities in which they settled. Having a rough life in the New World, the Irish still managed to leave a powerful legacy and an influence still visible today.

19 January 2004. http://library.udayton.edu/research/article/ - O Grada, Cormac. The Great Irish Famine. England: MacMillan, 1989. - O Tuathaigh, Gearoid, ed. Ireland before the Famine, 1798-1848.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression Lambert, T. (n.d.). A brief history of ireland. Retrieved from http://www.localhistories.org/irehist.html Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). The great depression.

McGivern, Alicia. "Christy Brown; Hero?" Http://www.irishfilm.ie. Arena Magazine, n.d. Web.

Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers LTD, 1989. Daly, Douglas C. “Famine's ghost.” Natural History 105.1 (1996) : 6 Kinealy, Christine. The Great Irish Famine. New York, NY: Palgrave, 2002. Leo, John.