Potato farming has been used as a major crop in the western world, especially in Europe, more specifically in Ireland.The Great Hunger, also known as the Irish Potato Famine, affected the Irish people, Irish culture, and famine victims who faced food shortages. The mass starvation forced the Irish population to migrate, often to America.Famine-related diseases developed, and Irish poverty was at its peak due to a lack of their staple food. The farming population of Ireland was not able to produce sufficient food, even for their own consumption, which was later termed as ‘potato blight’. The Irish famine conditions were also made worse by the British government. The British government handled the Irish famine with the help of Sir Robert Peel, and later Lord John Russel, the prime ministers of the British government. Many people died in the famine. Due to the scarcity of staple food, Irish people had to immigrate. The life of the people was drastically transformed after the Irish famine.The potato famine had a significant impact on many nations because there was emigration on a large scale from Ireland to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and many others. Ireland was very fertile for growing potato crops, and almost half of the population ate potatoes as part of their daily diet. At the same time, potato crops were destroyed due to natural calamities such as frost and excessive cold. From 1820 until 1850, there was massive crop destruction, which completely changed the course of Ireland’s history.The Great FamineThe Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, or the Irish Potato Famine, from 1845 until 1852, caused a huge, widespread hunger due to the diseases that people suffered in Ireland.The south and west of Ireland were the hardest hit by the famine. In the western and southern parts of Ireland, the Irish language was prominently spoken, and therefore, in the Irish language, the period was called ‘Drochshaol’, which means ’the hard times’. During this period, it is believed around 1 million residents died, and there was mass migration from Ireland to nearby countries. People ate corn, wheat, oats, and other crops during this famine.The year 1847 was called ‘Black ‘47’ for the above reasons: the massive destructive consequences of the famine seen in the same year. Around 2.1 million people fled from Ireland on steamboats, packet ships, and barks. The same time period was also heated up with political confrontations and the Irish War, where Irish nationalists were fighting for their independence. The potato blight made its way to Ireland when the Land War in Ireland almost started in 1879. The Irish nationalists demanded a fair price, free sale, and fixity of tenure.Causes Of Irish Potato FamineThe Irish Potato Famine’s main cause was the rapidly growing population and potato blight that could not have been avoided. Due to growing population as well as the situation of excessive frost, potato crops failed to grow, causing a lack of staple food for the people.The farmers of Ireland during the early years of the 19th century, especially the western and southern regions, farmers, had to struggle to feed themselves and to import cereal crops to the markets of Britain. Despite the fact that they were given a small compact size of land for farming, the land failed to provide enough farming crops to sustain them on the low minimum wage.The staple food, potato, was one of the easiest crops to grow in the fertile Irish soil, and by 1840, the Irish people were mostly dependent on this staple food crop. The farmers, who were also known as the cottiers, were allowed to live on the land and protect the potato crops. It is estimated that the family of the cottier consumed almost 8 lb (3.6 kg) of potatoes per person each day.The Irish population growth was also increasing rapidly prior to the famine and was very reliant on potato consumption. Due to this heavy consumption, it was believed that they suffered from diseases and that they became more prone to famine. In 1845, the cool weather conditions destroyed the potato crop plants along with bacteria and fungi. The potato crop rotted due to the cold climatic conditions. Phytophthora infestans were also known to infect potato plants.Consequences Of Irish Potato FamineThe aftermath of the Irish Potato Famine was a devastating period caused by potato blight, which saw Irish people flee their homeland and settle in the New World to which they had traveled.It is believed that around 1 million people died in the widespread hunger, and if there were more deaths that had taken place, then it is unknown how many people would have died in the potato famine. In Ireland, victims were in the graveyards and their individual names were not recorded due to the large number of people being buried together.Many people living in the western and southern parts of Ireland died due to starvation. Many of them opted to migrate to new lands or new worlds rather than stay in their current locations, such as the United States of America. Before 1830, as per the different resources, it is estimated that around five thousand people migrated from their native land, Ireland.The Great Famine gradually ended up with millions of people migrating. It is believed the first people reached Canada and then later moved to the US on foot. The Great Famine is known to have resulted in 26% of the Irish population living in Manhattan by the 1850s. Thousands of people from Ireland landed on the shores of America in 1852.The urban centers of America saw a drastic increase in the number of Irish people. The Irish immigrants got involved in the local municipal government, fire, and police departments. So, the government had Irish influence in its political sector.Many Irish people fought as soldiers in the American Civil War, and the regiment was named the Irish Brigade.Relief From The FamineThe British government took many steps to help the people of Ireland, but they were not that efficient when taken alone.Sir Robert Peel, the prime minister of Great Britain, did not stop the export of cereal crops to Great Britain. To help out with the starvation, he allowed the import of corn from the United States. In 1846, Lord John Russell of Whigs gained power and continued with the policy of the prior prime minister for the export and import of cereal crops.He adopted the same laissez-faire method to help the Irish people. The Irish landowners helped the farmers a lot with finances and loans which helped to relieve the poor. Throughout the turmoil, a large number of peasant agricultural workers were removed. The ‘ready or willing’ impoverished were sent out to the labor camps instead of receiving starvation assistance under the conditions of the severe 1834 British Poor Law, which was adopted in 1838.The British government is believed to have almost spent £8 million on aid during the potato blight famine in 1846 in Ireland. A few non-government funds were also started to help out the people. The British government’s help or support was more restricted to lending. On the one hand, they also helped with the cereal crops and the essentials of the kitchens, while on the other hand, they also provided jobs for the construction of roads along with other projects.Irrespective of the above facts or flaws, approximately 3 million Irish people were getting their food through soup kitchens by August 1847. Although Ireland was suffering from the Great Famine, it continued the export of meat products and many other foods to Britain. This enraged many Irish people that they were continuously helping the British and were not getting the same from them to the extent they needed.Famine relief was provided, but not in such an efficient manner. The Irish Potato Famine occurred during an era in Ireland when national identity was resurgent.The Young Ireland Movement concentrated more on ‘The Nation’, a nationalist publication that first appeared in 1842. ‘The Nation’ also published James Clarence Mangan, one of the most proficient poets of the time, who is believed to have written about hunger in a theatrical and frequently horrific way during both the British rule and the Irish famine.
Potato farming has been used as a major crop in the western world, especially in Europe, more specifically in Ireland.
