The Great Irish Famine

Front

What is a famine?

Back

Extreme food shortages that lead to mass starvation.

Front

What are the three main factors that contribute to famines?

Back

1. Production Failure: Crops fail due to fungus, bacteria or natural disaster. 2. Access Failure: Available food is too expensive. 3. Response Failure: Governments do not respond quickly or aggressively enough to address the problem.

Front

What was the political status of Ireland in the 19th century?

Back

Ireland had been colonized by the British and Scots since the 1600s and became part of the United Kingdom in 1801.

Front

Who owned most of the best farmland in Ireland by the 1800s?

Back

Most of the best farmland was owned by British landlords, not the Irish.

Front

What is the Blight?

Back

A fungus that infects potatoes, causing them to rot. Potatoes are not as genetically diverse as other crops, so blights could devastate an entire year's harvest.

Front

Who was Robert Peel and what was his role during the famine?

Back

Robert Peel was the Prime Minister of the UK from 1841-1846. He enacted a convoluted relief strategy to provide some relief to the Irish without angering his Laissez-Faire economist government.

Front

Who was Sir Charles Trevelyan and what was his belief about the Blight?

Back

Sir Charles Trevelyan was the Secretary of the Treasury who took control of relief efforts after Peel. He downplayed the dangers of the Blight, claiming it was more of an alarmist conspiracy and believed it would be a nonissue by the next year's harvest (1846).

Front

What were the consequences of the famine in terms of population?

Back

Between 1845-1849, over one million Irish died due to starvation or famine-related disease (15% of the population). Between 1846-1851, another million Irish fled to North America. Death, flight, and low birthrates led to the Irish population dropping by 50% between 1845-1900.