The Great Famine of Ireland is the worst famine in European history, taking the lives of over one million victims from starvation, or other famine-related illness. The diet of a traditional Irish indiviual of this time consisted mainly of about 80% potatoes, and the blight which contained a specific strain of water mold viciously attacked the crop. The decrease of about 20-25% in population was from death and emmegration, fleeing to find better lives to feed their families.
There were some British elitists that viewed this as a means of God to punish the Irish. The condemnation of the Irish during this time inspired poets and writers of the late Romantic period and early Victorian age to speak up against the treatment of those suffering from famine.
Image Source:
Image of potato infected with Phytophthora infestans.
“The Story behind the Great Famine.” Woodstock History Center, 5 Jan. 2022, www.woodstockhistorycenter.org/articles/2021/11/18/the-story-behind-the-....
Works Cited:
“Great Famine - Great Famine Relief Efforts | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history/Great-Famine-relief-....