The Irish Potato Famine started in 1845 and lasted until 1852. It was caused by the rapid spread of a fungus called Phytophthora infestans. The infestation ruined half the crops grown in 1845, and three quarters of the crops grown for the next seven years. The tenent farmers at the time relied heavily on potatoes as a food source due to Parliament passing laws that made grains incredibl expensive. Parliament would repeal these tariffs, but it did little to aid the poor tenant farmers who relied heavily on the potatoes they grew. Before the famine finally came to a close roughly one million people had died of starvation and other related conditions, with around another million fleeing Ireland as refugees.
Vetted?
No