Irish Potato Famine

By cierraconner

  • The Start

    Around this time in 1845 a fungal diease called phytophthora infestans, attcked the potatos in Ireland and because the population depended so heavily on it signs of suffering began early.

  • Peel takes action

    Sir Robert Peel, who was appointed scientific commision and Chief Secretary for Ireland, took prompt action in trying to control the spreading hunger. To prevent soaring food prices he bought £100,000 worth of Indian corn to help control the market. The British Corn Laws were weighing heavily on Peel's decision on what to do that would help Ireland as well.

  • Corn Laws removed

    Peel finally made the desicion to remove the Corn Laws from government. The purpose of the Corn Law was to keep up the price of home grown grain, which guarenteed English farmers a minimum and profitable price but left the burden of higher priced bread on the lower classes. This repeal in turn would let the poorer classes be able to afford more food and supplies.

  • Help came

    The government and The Religous Society for Friends (Quakers) both set up soup kitchens around Ireland to try and ease the starvation. The Quakers also provided clothing, equiment, seeds and money to the ones who needed it.THe Quakers only gave it supplies to those who qualified, which was only the people who got little or no relief from the government, nor where they allowed to give based or not on religous persuasion.

  • Diseases

    Throughout the years, diseases tormented the Irish people. Typhus and relapsing fever were two of the most common diseases in the population. Both were transmitted by the body louse and the famine's conditions gave the perfect environment for spreading infectin as people went to urban areas in search of food. Becuase there were no official documents, we will never be able no the exact count how many died due to starvation and diseases.

  • Emigration explodes

    People were now in a rush to get out of Ireland, but immigration was limited to only the summer months. This lead to over 6,000 immigrants going to Liverpool and later Ireland opening direct sails out to North America and other parts of the world.

  • Evictions

    Throughout the years, evictions in the land whad been increasing rapidly.The potato failure endangered the payment of rent and landowners were quick to get rid of non-paying tenants, In 1849 90,00 evictions were recorded in the country and in 1850 there was over 100,000 people on the streets.

  • Irish in America

    An estimated 1.25 million immigrants came to America rather then Austrailia due to the cost of the trip and it's attractive destination.The Irish organized themselves with their own labour organizatinons and campaigned for better pay and conditions, and later dominated the American Trade Union and politics.

  • Irish in Austrailia

    The Irish in Austrailia had an easier time adjusting then the ones in America, even though their religion had caused problems. Because Austrailia was a loyal country to the British Empire at this time, there were claims that the Irish were atempting to undermine the Crown by adhering to the British religion. The British started using Austrailia to send convicts, including the Irish. Today the population is one third Irish out of 19 million people.