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'''The Irish Famine''' took place on the island of [[History of Ireland|Ireland]] while under British control, from 1845-49.It was a catastrophic failure in the food supply that led to approximately a million deaths, vast social disruption and to massive emigration. About two million people migrated to Britain, the United States, Canada and elsewhere in the period 1845-1855<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/famine_01.shtml</ref>. The famine transformed the economy of Ireland, its demographics and its politics.  The people responded with a new demographic regime of lower birth rates (caused by later marriages) that, coupled with the  mass emigration, caused the population to decline steadily.  The political blame was a factor for many decades - even into the twentieth century. More immediately, the famine led to demands for land reform - that is, the government buying out the landlords and selling to the peasants. The famine was in the poorer western regions; the richer north and east had much less distress and indeed continued to export food.  

'''The Irish Famine''' took place on the island of [[History of Ireland|Ireland]] while under British control, from 1845-49.It was a catastrophic failure in the food supply that led to approximately a million deaths, vast social disruption and to massive emigration. About two million people migrated to Britain, the United States, Canada and elsewhere in the period 1845-1855.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/famine_01.shtml</ref> The famine transformed the economy of Ireland, its demographics and its politics.  The people responded with a new demographic regime of lower birth rates (caused by later marriages) that, coupled with the  mass emigration, caused the population to decline steadily.  The political blame was a factor for many decades - even into the twentieth century. More immediately, the famine led to demands for land reform - that is, the government buying out the landlords and selling to the peasants. The famine was in the poorer western regions; the richer north and east had much less distress and indeed continued to export food.  

[[Image:FAMINE-IRELAND.JPG|thumb|340px]]

[[Image:FAMINE-IRELAND.JPG|thumb|340px]]

==Background==

==Background==

Ireland's population soared from three million in the 1770s to 8.2 million in 1840. There was little increase in technology, efficiency or arable land in use. Instead the growth was accommodated by divided land into smaller and smaller subplots, and concentrating on potatoes as the primary food supply. About half of the population relied on subsistence farming, based mainly on the potato crop.  Short harvests in different regions had caused famines before; this was the first to hit the entire island. <ref>Cronon (2001), p. 138; Beckett, (1971)Page 336 </ref>.

Ireland's population soared from three million in the 1770s to 8.2 million in 1840. There was little increase in technology, efficiency or arable land in use. Instead the growth was accommodated by divided land into smaller and smaller subplots, and concentrating on potatoes as the primary food supply. About half of the population relied on subsistence farming, based mainly on the potato crop.  Short harvests in different regions had caused famines before; this was the first to hit the entire island.<ref>Cronon (2001), p. 138; Beckett, (1971)Page 336</ref>  

The [[potato]] was ideal for the often damp and poor quality soil of the west of Ireland. It was considered to be the 'lazy crop' - one only needed to plant it and allow it to grow with some gentle weeding needed from time to time. Tenant farmers usually spent the rest of their time with a small number of farm animals such as pigs, chickens, geese and sometimes a few head of cattle (although the richer farmers dominated the cattle market). The squalor that many Irish farmers lived in was contrasted starkly with the luxury of some of the landlords in their manor houses. The resentment thus caused resulted in widespread looting and murders during the famine years and after.

The [[potato]] was ideal for the often damp and poor quality soil of the west of Ireland. It was considered to be the 'lazy crop' - one only needed to plant it and allow it to grow with some gentle weeding needed from time to time. Tenant farmers usually spent the rest of their time with a small number of farm animals such as pigs, chickens, geese and sometimes a few head of cattle (although the richer farmers dominated the cattle market). The squalor that many Irish farmers lived in was contrasted starkly with the luxury of some of the landlords in their manor houses. The resentment thus caused resulted in widespread looting and murders during the famine years and after.

==Origins==

==Origins==

The potato blight was a disease that affected potatoes in an almost encroaching manner (potatoes appeared normal immediately after they were dug up - the blight affected them in that they would deteriorate hours after they had been harvested).<ref> See [http://www.cropinfo.net/Potatoblight.htm "Potato Late Blight] for details.</ref>  It hit the Irish subsistence farmer terribly. Although the disease first appeared in the South of England, it later spread to Ireland and had a much more disastrous effect there as there was little diversity in terms of subsistence crops grown throughout the Irish countryside.

The potato blight was a disease that affected potatoes in an almost encroaching manner (potatoes appeared normal immediately after they were dug up - the blight affected them in that they would deteriorate hours after they had been harvested).<ref>See [http://www.cropinfo.net/Potatoblight.htm "Potato Late Blight] for details.</ref>  It hit the Irish subsistence farmer terribly. Although the disease first appeared in the South of England, it later spread to Ireland and had a much more disastrous effect there as there was little diversity in terms of subsistence crops grown throughout the Irish countryside.

==Mortality==

==Mortality==

* Cronin, Mike. ''A History of Ireland.'' Palgrave. 2001. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=97995426# online edition]

* Cronin, Mike. ''A History of Ireland.'' Palgrave. 2001. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=97995426# online edition]

*  Crawford, E.M.  (ed.), ''Famine: The Irish Experience, 900-1900'' (Edinburgh, 1989),  

*  Crawford, E.M.  (ed.), ''Famine: The Irish Experience, 900-1900'' (Edinburgh, 1989),  

*  Cullen, L. M. "Irish History Without the Potato", ''Past and Present,'' 40 (July 1968). pp. 72-83 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-2746%28196807%290%3A40%3C72%3AIHWTP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K in JSTOR]

*  Cullen, L. M. "Irish History Without the Potato", ''Past and Present,'' 40 (July 1968). pp.&nbsp;72–83 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-2746%28196807%290%3A40%3C72%3AIHWTP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K in JSTOR]

* Daly, Mary. "The Great Famine" in D. George Boyce and Alan O’day, eds. ''The Making of Modern Irish History: Revisionism and the Revisionist Controversy'' (1996) pp 71-89 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103075467 online edition] [http://www.amazon.com/Making-Modern-Irish-History-Revisionism/dp/041509819X/ref=sr_1_4/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189053153&sr=8-4 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]

* Daly, Mary. "The Great Famine" in D. George Boyce and Alan O’day, eds. ''The Making of Modern Irish History: Revisionism and the Revisionist Controversy'' (1996) pp 71–89 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103075467 online edition] [http://www.amazon.com/Making-Modern-Irish-History-Revisionism/dp/041509819X/ref=sr_1_4/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189053153&sr=8-4 excerpt and online search from Amazon.com]

* Daly, Mary. ''The Famine in Ireland'' (Dublin, 1986),  

* Daly, Mary. ''The Famine in Ireland'' (Dublin, 1986),  

* Edwards, R. Dudley,  and T. Desmond Williams (eds). ''The Great Famine'' (Dublin, 1956)

* Edwards, R. Dudley,  and T. Desmond Williams (eds). ''The Great Famine'' (Dublin, 1956)

* Ó Gráda, Cormac.  ''Ireland Before and After the Famine. Explorations in Economic History, 1800-1925'' (Manchester, 1988),  

* Ó Gráda, Cormac.  ''Ireland Before and After the Famine. Explorations in Economic History, 1800-1925'' (Manchester, 1988),  

*  Ó Gráda, Cormac.  ''Black '47 and Beyond: The Great Irish Famine in History, Economy, and Memory.'' Princeton U. Press, 1999. 272 pp.   

*  Ó Gráda, Cormac.  ''Black '47 and Beyond: The Great Irish Famine in History, Economy, and Memory.'' Princeton U. Press, 1999. 272 pp.   

* Ó Gráda,  Cormac, Richard Paping, and Eric Vanhaute, eds. ''When the Potato Failed: Causes and Effects of the Last European Subsistence Crisis, 1845-1850''. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2007. 342 pp. ISBN: 978-2-503-51985-2. 15 essays by scholars looking at Ireland and all of Europe

* Ó Gráda,  Cormac, Richard Paping, and Eric Vanhaute, eds. ''When the Potato Failed: Causes and Effects of the Last European Subsistence Crisis, 1845-1850''. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2007. 342 pp. ISBN 978-2-503-51985-2. 15 essays by scholars looking at Ireland and all of Europe

* Vaughan, W.E.  (ed.) ''New History of Ireland, V. Ireland Under the Union, Part 1. 1801-70'' (Oxford, 1989),  

* Vaughan, W.E.  (ed.) ''New History of Ireland, V. Ireland Under the Union, Part 1. 1801-70'' (Oxford, 1989),  

==References==

==References==

[[Category:Irish History]]

[[Category:Irish History]]

[[category:British Empire]]

[[Category:British Empire]]

[[category:Irish-Americans]]

[[Category:Irish-Americans]]