The Potato Famine Essay - 2687 Words

â€Å"We are talking about one of the greatest tragedies Of the nineteenth century.† -Ian Gibson nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Irish-American. To some, this term merely designates one of the many ethnic groups which can be found in the United States; but to those who are Irish-American, it represents a people who faced a disaster of mammoth proportions and who managed to survive at great cost. The Great Hunger of 1845 changed, or more often, destroyed the lives of millions of Irish, causing them to seek refuge from poverty and starvation in other, more prosperous countries. However, not all countries would accept these victims of the Potato Famine. After an immense burst of Irish immigration to Great Britain, the British Parliament began to†¦show more content†¦Those who were very wealthy probably would not have been drastically affected by the famine whereas those who migrated the most. However, the poorer element from counties such as Clare, Kerry, and Mayo had weak representation in the area of migration after 1846 (114). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Everything that happened in Ireland during nineteenth century has indeed been overshadowed by the catastrophe which overtook the country between 1845 and 1851. The Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1851 was one of the great catastrophes of the nineteenth century and divides modern Irish history. It was a disaster which poisoned Anglo-Irish relations for many generations to come, and had profound effects not only in Ireland itself, but in England and North America as well. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nineteenth-century Ireland was the most densely populated country in Europe: in 1800, its population was 4.5 million, and by 1841, it had risen to eight million (Kinealy 15). Yet much of this population existed in condition of sorrow and misery lay in the dependence of the peasantry on just one staple crop, the potato; in western countries like Mayo and Galway, nine-tenths of the people ate nothing else (MacManus 602). Here was a disaster waiting to happen, made worst by the rapid rise in population in the first half of the century which forced the peasants to subsist on smaller plots of land (O Grada, The Great Irish Famine 63).Show MoreRelatedThe Irish Potato Famine1505 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper: Irish Potato Famine â€Å"Beginning in 1845 and lasting for six years, the potato famine killed over a million men, women and children in Ireland and caused another million to flee the country† (The History Place-Introduction). During the 1840s many Irish citizens lived in poverty. For food, the Irish relied almost entirely on potatoes because of their low cost and nutritional value. Then a devastating potato blight began in Europe in 1845 and destroyed the crops every year until 1851Read MoreA Famine Primary Source Of The Irish Potato Famine1354 Words   |  6 PagesA Spud Famine Primary Source More than a million Irish people died during the Irish Potato famine that hit Ireland between 1845 to 1849 (Pollard, pg. 551). Potatoes were the primary diet of the Irish, especially the Irish Lump potato. When the fungal disease hit, known as â€Å"potato blight,† the Irish potato crops were lost. After reading primary sources regarding the Irish Potato Famine, the reader can visualize the horrors that the Irish people endured during the Irish Potatoes Famine including starvationRead More Potato Famine of 1845 Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pagesrain fell throughout Ireland, carrying with its pores of blight that killed multiple crops, including the potato crop. Because Ireland was dependent on the potato crop, the results of this blight were catastrophic. 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Over 750,000 people had died and more than a million had emigrated. At the time Ireland’s population was only about 8 million so this famine had devastated many families. The people of Ireland at this time were so dependent upon the potato that it was a main staple. The Irish would consume the potato with almost every meal, and for some the potato was the only food that they were ever able to eat. The famine was produced byRead MoreIrish Potato Famine Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesThe Irish Potato Famine and Primary Sources More than a million Irish people died during The Irish Potato famine that hit Ireland between 1845 to 1849 (Pollard, pg. 551). Potatoes were the primary diet of the Irish, especially the Irish Lump potato. When the fungal disease hit, known as â€Å"potato blight,† the Irish potato crops were lost. After reading primary sources regarding the Irish Potato Famine, the reader can visualize the horrors that the Irish people endured during the famine includingRead MoreWho Is A Irish Potato Famine?1438 Words   |  6 Pagesfoods can be engineered to survive all sorts of famine and weather issues. Does that make them unsafe for consumption just because a scientist changed the genetic structure? There isn’t a 100% clear cut answer to that and there probably never will be, but we as a community of human beings are much better off taking our chances on GMOs rather than going back to depending on luck for our crops to grow. Does anyone really want another Irish potato famin e? Another food supply benefit is the ability toRead MoreThe Cause Of The Irish Potato Famine1375 Words   |  6 Pagesby health. An invasive pathogen that was originated in Central Mexico that was very detrimental for potatoes was Phytophythora infestans. The disease is also known as potato late blight. Phytophythora infestans are classified by domain eukarya and class oomycetes (Benrud 2007). This pathogen was the cause of the Irish potato famine that had occurred in 1845. From Central Mexico the pathogen spread to Europe and the United States in 19th century (Sedlakova et al 2011). The states that were particularlyRead MoreEssay about The Great Potato Famine1740 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Potato Famine 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 fungusRead MoreThe Irish Potato Famine And Primary Sources1396 Words   |  6 PagesIrish Potato Famine and Primary Sources More than a million Irish people died during The Irish Potato famine that hit Ireland between 1845 to 1849 (Pollard, pg. 551). Potatoes were the primary diet of the Irish, especially the Irish Lump potato. When the fungal disease hit, known as â€Å"potato blight,† the Irish potato crops were lost. After reading primary sources regarding the Irish Potato Famine, the reader can visualize the horrors that the Irish people endured during the Irish Potatoes Famine including