Potatoes, they may seem innocent but in 1845 a devastating potato blight occurred, killing an eighth of the entire Irish population. Although the blight itself destroyed the crops and left many Irish in sickness and starvation, the real killers of the Irish potato famine were the British. Many historians even claim that the Irish famine was not caused by the potatoes themselves, but in fact was a result of Britain’s lack of respect and support of the Irish people even to the extent of calling it genocide on Britain’s behalf. British free trade was devastating to the Irish; it established that, “no government surplus food, (welfare) be given to the starving, in order to leave the market for food undisturbed.” (Gallagher) This gave the impoverished
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In fact, by the early 1820s, nearly eighty percent of all land was owned by British and Scottish landlords. (Gallagher) Of the little amount of land allotted to the Irish people, the majority of it was predominantly used for growing their potatoes because they are such an easy to grow and cost effective crop. Because of the free trade established by Britain, almost sixty percent of the entire Irish population was unemployed with the exception of the potato harvest. In 1829 the Duke of Wellington wrote that, “there never was a country in which poverty existed to the extent it exists in Ireland.” The manufacturing was at an all time low because of no support system for the Irish people; surveys even show that there were only thirty-nine hospitals for nearly eight million people. Britain was taking advantage of Ireland by using their free trade and once the potato famine was underway, the British tried to ignore the trap they had essentially laid for these Irish people to whom they should have ruled over justly. Since the Irish people had little to no money and/or land, it was nearly impossible for them to avoid the blight. On the little land an Irish citizen may have, there was a high chance of potatoes being their main crop and thusly their main source of income. When the potatoes got wiped out because of the blight, millions of Irish people had nothing to rely on and therefore had a similar demise to those
In fact, by the early 1820s, nearly eighty percent of all land was owned by British and Scottish landlords. (Gallagher) Of the little amount of land allotted to the Irish people, the majority of it was predominantly used for growing their potatoes because they are such an easy to grow and cost effective crop. Because of the free trade established by Britain, almost sixty percent of the entire Irish population was unemployed with the exception of the potato harvest. In 1829 the Duke of Wellington wrote that, “there never was a country in which poverty existed to the extent it exists in Ireland.” The manufacturing was at an all time low because of no support system for the Irish people; surveys even show that there were only thirty-nine hospitals for nearly eight million people. Britain was taking advantage of Ireland by using their free trade and once the potato famine was underway, the British tried to ignore the trap they had essentially laid for these Irish people to whom they should have ruled over justly. Since the Irish people had little to no money and/or land, it was nearly impossible for them to avoid the blight. On the little land an Irish citizen may have, there was a high chance of potatoes being their main crop and thusly their main source of income. When the potatoes got wiped out because of the blight, millions of Irish people had nothing to rely on and therefore had a similar demise to those