Ireland: A Country Shaped by the Great Potato Famine Disaster Presented by Stephanie Bradshaw
The Great Potato Famine What is it? What effects did it have on: Population Emigration Industrialization (pictures taken from http://www.myguideireland.com/the-great-famine)
“May the roof above us never fall in, Any may we good companions beneath it never fall out.” Home is where the heart is! Growing rural population in Ireland Agriculture was the main industry “A large family was an insurance of continued sustenance in later life.” More children = more food (image taken from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland_great_famine_of_1845.htm)
The Potato Hype Land owned by wealthy landlords Rented to poor, Irish tenants Potato was inexpensive, easy to grow 3 million Irish relied on it for daily survival However, prone to disease The “lumper” potato (taken from http://www.news.cornell.edu/ Chronicle)
The Spread of Famine 1844 – Potato blight “Phytophthora Infestans” discovered in America 1845 - Spread over to Europe, Britain, and then to Ireland Caused potatoes to become a big, gushy mess Harvest failed for 3 years No sympathy from landlords British government offers help too late Majority of tenants evicted from their homes
What Now?
Huge Population Decline Irish family being evicted from their home (taken from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.c om/~rosdavies/WORDS/Famine.htm) Between 1845-1850, population decline of nearly 2 million 1 million from disease and malnourishment 1 million from due to emigration
(taken from http://www.ballintemple.com/history/history%20eb.html)
Emigration - America Saw great opportunity in coming to America Huge influx of people to America between 1845-50, nearly all of them because of the potato famine Poor, disease-stricken families not welcomed by Americans Had to work their way up in American society, despite discrimination and poverty Strong survival instinct and will to live
Industrialization Famine forced many farmers to find work in the cities 1841 – rural population at 66% Today – rural population at 38% Famine allowed urban industry to go Per Capita GNI PPP: 33,040
Follow-up Questions for the class: Give two reasons why potatoes were a popular crop to produce in Ireland. What was the main cause of the Famine? How did the Irish Potato Famine shape the population of Ireland? What effect did the Famine have on farming and agriculture? Briefly explain the effect the Potato Famine had on America.
Sources http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland_great_famine_of_1845.htm http://www.my-secret-northern-ireland.com/the-irish-potato-famine.html http://www.dfa.ie/uploads/documents/embassy/Ottawa%20EM/Famine%20Speeches/le cture%20at%20st%20michael's%20college.pdf http://www.ilw.com/articles/2001,0817-AILF.shtm http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-immigration-to-Britain.html http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ireland/rural-population-percent-of-total- population-wb-data.html The Famine Ships: The Irish Exodus to America 1846–51 by Edward Laxton Fundamentals of World Regional Geography Third Edition by Joseph J. Hobbs