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potato famine in ireland comunity IMPACTS
potato famine in ireland comunity IMPACTS
potato famine in ireland comunity IMPACTS
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In Ireland in the years 1845-1852 a great famine caused a mass die off of potato crops throughout the country. Beginning in 1845 the weather in Ireland were abnormally chilly and damp for a summer season in Ireland, providing the perfect type of whether to allow diseases to spread rapidly. Phytophthora infestans, the cause of the great famine, can spread in the blowing wind. Shortage of food caused many Irish people to immigrate to other countries yet, some citizens of Ireland stayed most of which became struck will illnesses or died of starvation. Many farmers consolidated their land and shared the harvested crops creating another shortage of food for consolidated farming families. Potatoes originated from South America. . In the 1800s Ireland’s population grew immensely so, lands owners did not own more than a couple of acres for only themselves. The potato was first grown in the northern parts of South America then was introduced to Ireland in 1565. One theory shared by researchers about how the potato got to Ireland is that a ship sailing from South America carrying potatoes sank near the coast of Ireland and potatoes washed up on the shore. Another theory about the introduction of the potato to Ireland is that Sir Walter Raleigh brought potatoes back with him to Ireland from a trip to the Americas, but there is not a specific account of how potatoes were truly brought to Ireland and some experts believe there may not be one at all. Land consolidation is the act of moving uniting or over taking pieces of land owned by 1 or more people. In the 1800s Ireland’s population grew immensely so, lands owners did not own more than a couple of acres for only themselves. Many farmers consolidated their land and shared the harvested cr... ... middle of paper ... ...ickets and immigrate into the United States. It is estimated that about 1.5 million Irish people immigrated to the United States alone during the time of the famine. Most people believe that to cause of the Great Hunger was not really the blight on the potatoes; they believe England’s poor response to the loss of potato crop helped the disease spiral out of control. In conclusion, Potatoes were first grown in South America and in Mexico by the Inca people and the potato was introduced to Ireland from South America in 1565. The Irish Potato Famine of the 1800s was caused by Phytophthora infestans. Many Irish people depended greatly on the potatoes for a source of food in the winter and early spring months; potatoes were a staple in the diet of the Irish People. About 1.5 million people immigrated to the United States and another million died of disease or starvation.
“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. Therefore, when the fungus Phytophthora infestans caused some, and eventually all, of the crop to rot over the next couple of years, the reliance on the one crop made the people of Ireland extremely susceptible to the famine. The effects were devastating, and poverty spread across the nation causing a huge increase in homelessness, the death-rate, emigration, and a change in the Irish people and country overall.
The Irish began immigrating to North America in the 1820s, when the lack of jobs and poverty forced them to seek better opportunities elsewhere after the end of the major European wars. When the Europeans could finally stop depending on the Irish for food during war, the investment in Irish agricultural products reduced and the boom was over. After an economic boom, there comes a bust and unemployment was the result. Two-thirds of the people of Ireland depended on potato harvests as a main source of income and, more importantly, food. Then between the years of 1845 and 1847, a terrible disease struck the potato crops. The plague left acre after acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot. The failure of the potato yields caused the prices of food to rise rapidly. With no income coming from potato harvests, families dependent on potato crops could not afford to pay rent to their dominantly British and Protestant landlords and were evicted only to be crowded into disease-infested workhouses. Peasants who were desperate for food found themselves eating the rotten potatoes only to develop and spread horrible diseases. ¡§Entire villages were quickly homeless, starving, and diagnosed with either cholera or typhus.¡¨(Interpreting¡K,online) The lack of food and increased incidents of death forced incredible numbers of people to leave Ireland for some place which offered more suitable living conditions. Some landlords paid for the emigration of their tenants because it made more economic sense to rid farms of residents who were not paying their rent. Nevertheless, emigration did not prove to be an antidote for the Famine. The ships were overcrowded and by the time they reached their destination, approximately one third of its passengers had been lost to disease, hunger and other complications. However, many passengers did survive the journey and, as a result, approximately ¡§1.5 million Irish people immigrated to North America during the 1840¡¦s and 1850¡¦s.¡¨(Bladley, online) As a consequence of famine, disease (starvation and disease took as many as one million lives) and emigration, ¡§Ireland¡¦s population dropped from 8 million to 5 million over a matter of years.¡¨(Bladley, online) Although Britain came to the aid of the starving, many Irish blamed Britain for their delayed response and for centuries of political hardship as basi...
While Maize thrived among Mediterranean countries, potatoes were met with prejudice do to its ugly appearance but eventually became a staple of Ireland, who used the calories to provide wheat for England. New crops increased output pin the same area of land, allowing England to have plenty of food, land, and export enough to begin industrialization. Coal further increased production in Britain, allowing it ti collect large enough profits in industrial goods to import foods, freeing up
The Irish arrived in America during the 1840s to escape the potato famine, which was a massive crop failure due to diseased potato plants. The Irish also came to America for religious freedom so that they may worship under a non-state
...ber in order to assess the damage that the potato crop failure had had. A challenge soon presented itself in the form of differing assessment reports so it was not clear exactly how much damage had been done. A detailed report from an agriculturist however estimated the loss of the potato crop to be between one third and one half of the potatoes that were originally thought to be free from the fungus. More charitable relief works were being set up in order to care for the now starving people. Local clergy began to devise means for the labourers to receive his provisions at a cheaper rate and to find a way of bringing food into the country in order to prevent further starvation. Following a damp Spring and Summer the complete potato crop failure occurred in 1846 and from this began a series of potato crop failures that resulted in the decade long famine in Ireland.
In the 1800's nearly 1/3 of Ireland's population had been dependent on potatoes. The potato was a very nutritious and easily produced crop that could survive in very poor soil. The potato also had a very high yield in a little area of land and the cost was very low, this was why the potato was one of the greate...
During the mid 1840’s, blight in the potato crops in Ireland caused widespread starvation and migration of Irish citizens to the United States. Yet, the massive loss of life and massive exodus could have been avoided if British taxation upon the working class of Ireland was nullified. Though the struggle for liberation was already taking place, the potato famine furthered the cause and helped spread awareness. Furthermore, the potato famine made the average Irish family more reliant upon the government for subsidies and supports to get by.
With 3 million either gone or dead from the island of Ireland, 1845 was possibly the most painful year in its history. It was also obvious that something was afflicting Ireland, with the smell and sight of the crops. Death rate grew high, and immigration even higher during this time period of the famine. The Great Potato Famine of 1845 had a massive effect on Ireland in population decrease, the reactions of the people, and effects it had on the future of Ireland.
The Great Potato Famine is characterized as one of the leading disasters in Ireland’s history. It began in the summer of 1845 with the appearance of an unusual disease growing on potato crops throughout various parts of Europe. With the spread of this disease, it soon targeted Ireland consuming the major crop of potatoes. The famine began by this mysterious disease that hit many parts of Europe during 1845. This disease known as the blight was caused by a fungus known ‘phytophthora infestans’. Prior to the blight, two main diseases known as ‘curl’ and ‘dry rot’ attacked Ireland but were not as destructive (Kinealy 33). The blight was known to be originated from South America through cargo ships that were transporting goods to Europe. The fungus was carried over through the potato leaves which soon would spread to the actual potato leaving the potato black and rotting with a rancid smell arising from it (Kinealy 30). The fungus would commonly feed on healthy potatoes and quickly decompose of it. With the hit of the blight and many others causes Ireland as a country was threatened. This was the first time that Ireland was hit this hard with “Western Europe’s worst modern peacetime catastrophe,” people were dying from diseases and starvation, and others try to find safety in Britain and the United States (Newsinger, 1).
Domesticated potatoes were once all belong to one botanical species, Solanum tuberosum; it included thousands of varieties that had diversity in size, shape, color and other characteristics. The potato was first domesticated in the South America Andes, then the Puritans who took Mayflower arrived the land and the First Nations taught them about potatoes. Then the sailors went back to Europe and people started to plant potatoes in Spain, England, France, and many other countries in Europe. Later, potatoes were spread into Africa by the colonists. The crop was once believe to be poisonous by the local farmers who refused to plant them. However, the colonists persuaded the farmers and introduced potatoes as a low-price and high-production crop in substitute of wheat and rice.
of farming and feeding ourselves. The potato was also a godsend for the Irish who were unable
The actions of the British government during the potato blight constituted genocide against the Irish people. Over hundreds of years the British had looked down on their Irish neighbors as nothing more than barbarians. Even when Ireland became part of the United Kingdom the Irish were still seen as second class citizens, repressed by misrule and neglect. This neglect was mainly influenced by the british accepting a Laissez-faire, hands off, form of government for rule of Ireland which meant that the British took no part in the governing of Ireland. In the early 1840s a blight stuck much of Europe, destroying countless crops over the three successive years that the potato blight lasted; but the Irish were hit the hardest. The Irish suffered
The potato had a great effect in Europe during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The potato was a part of the Agricultural Revolution that took place during this time. The Agricultural Revolution not only had a great impact on agriculture, but society as well. This revolution caused an increase in population. J.G. Hawkes, author of The Potato: Evolution, Biodiversity, and Genetic Resources, notes that the "potato [was] brought to Spain about 1570 by Spanish explorers who discovered it in South America. The potato was grown in the country of Chile. Hawkes also asserts that the potato was most likely brought to England around 1590. However, Redcliffe Salaman, author of The History and Social Influence of the Potato, explains that "the potato was a luxury food in England until the middle of the seventeenth century" (445). The potato helped to revolutionize society.
Aside from death by starvation, Irish people died from famine associated diseases such as cholera and typhus (Irish Culture, 2014). By examining census records it can be shown that the Irish potato famine caused poverty and starvation of the country, decreasing the population to 4 million, half its size before the famine. More than one million people emigrated during the potato famine never to return to Ireland, (Irish Culture, 2014). If the Irish people survived the boat trip riddled by starvation and related diseases, they started new lives in England, America or Canada. By examining the popular press of the time period it can be shown that the Irish potato famine caused hard times for the Irish people who in turn emigrated to other places in search of a plentiful amount of sustainable food. Britain, at the time, was the world’s wealthiest nation and after 1847 there was a sufficient amount of food to prevent the starvation of the Irish population. However, the British were not fond of assisting Ireland. By examining government records it can be shown that the Irish potato famine resulted in prejudice between the British Government and Ireland. Along with prejudice against Ireland, the relationship between the two countries suffered, leaving long lasting affects on both Ireland and
The potato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America in what is now Peru and Bolivar. They were introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. It took more than 200 years until they became a staple of European diets,