Was the Great Famine of greater significance for the histories of subsequent generations than for those of the period 1845 – 50?

Résumé du document

Ireland in the beginning of the 1840's had a population of eight million inhabitants of whom more than four-fifths lived on the land and it was one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The prosperous phase which prevailed in Ireland at the beginning of the 1840's was unfortunately not representative of the entire decade, because in 1845 a great calamity strickened the country, the potato famine. This misfortune had very strong consequences on the country which occurred both during and after this event. All this, leads us to the question: How did the famine show its greater significance? Firstly, we will focus on the arrival of the famine in Ireland. Then, we will place emphasis on the instantaneous consequences of the famine. Last but not least we will deal with the long lasting effects of the famine. First of all, the role of the potato in Ireland must be ascertained. The potato was introduced in Ireland in about 1590 and its advantages were that it "could grow in the poorest conditions, with very little labour" and that "even a small plot of land could support a large family, if you grew potatoes" . The potato was recognised as "a cheap and plentiful source of food" and it was the main element which enabled the Irish population to feed itself. However, even if the potato was seen as the easiest and cheapest foodstuff, "it was a source of concern to some authorities that people had nothing to fall back on at all, if the potato ever happen to fail" . Unfortunately, this worrying was not considered relevant and never taken seriously. Then, European reports began to deal with a new blight in June 1845 which had been noticed in Belgium.

Extraits

[...] p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p - 96 Beckett, J. C. making of modern Ireland 1603 1923' p.344 Beckett, J. C. making of modern Ireland 1603 1923' p.344 Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Lee, J. J., Joseph 1942-. modernisation of Irish society 1848-1918' / Joseph Lee. [...]

[...] This was due to the shortage of food which was related to the new crop failure of 1846. All this went on, 1849 was perhaps the worst year of the great famine. The rural population had been decimated by fever and starvation”[10]. Finally, by 1850 the famine was ending and the crop began to recover its former strength. The number of victims of this terrible event “reckoned at one to one and a half million will never be known”[11]. In addition to this, the great flow of emigration was also a significant part of this loss of population and it leads us to the instantaneous consequences of the famine. [...]

[...] No one was spared and even lots of priests and clergymen died of fever due to their contact with the dead bodies. Fever also lasted quiet long, for example, fever epidemic in Dublin reached its worst in June, and did not begin to decline until February 1848”[15]. Unfortunately, fever was not the only disease which spread during the famine. Cholera appeared in 1848 and carried all over Ireland, and the epidemic reached a peak in May”[16]. The situation of the victims was dreadful because “there was no money to help cholera victims; it was all going to starving”[17]. [...]

[...] p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. - The Irish famine : an illustrated history. p Litton, Helen. [...]

[...] Was the Great Famine of greater significance for the histories of subsequent generations than for those of the period 1845 50? Ireland in the beginning of the 1840's had a population of eight million inhabitants of whom more than four-fifths lived on the land and it was one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The prosperous phase which prevailed in Ireland at the beginning of the 1840's was unfortunately not representative of the entire decade, because in 1845 a great calamity strickened the country, the potato famine. [...]