Between 1845 and 1850, more than a million Irish people starved to.
death while massive quantities of food were being exported from their.
country. A half million were evicted from their homes during the potato.
blight, and a million and a half emigrated to America, Britain and.
Australia, often onboard rotting, overcrowded "coffin ships". Many.
different politically laws, race issues, and trade techniques.
contributed to the laying of the groundwork for the famine to actually.
take place.
In 1847, a law was imposed that allowed a tenant who had more than.
a quarter acre of land to have public assistance. The tenant had to.
surrender his land to a landlord to receive help. Some tenants gave.
there children to a workhouse so they could continue to be fed. The.
eviction of these tenants was unavoidable, and destruction of there.
homes came shortly after. Laws were set up to export the main source of.
crop, making it a cash crop. Potatoes were exporting the country at a.
unjust rate and this led to the lack of food in the country. People .
gave.
what they had and shared with one another. Unclothed, unsheltered, and.
ultimately unfed, the condition in Ireland forced many to leave the.
country.
The battle in Ireland was much more of a political one than an.
environmental one. Environmental causes of the famine are pale in.
comparison. Penal Laws did not allow Irish Catholics to receive.
education, purchase land, and was not allowed to reap the profits of .
any.
land exceeding one third of his overall profit. Harsh rules were.
extremely traumatizing to many Irishmen. On top of the laws was the.
famine of potatoes. The potato was known as the staple food for most of.
the rural population. Still without the potato, there was enough grain.
crop to feed the people. But it was to be used as a cash crop and not a.
food crop. Countries outside of Ireland were ignorant for the most .
part.
It was even said that soon an Irishman in his native land would be as.
rare as an American Indian in his.
