6582794
Description
Mind Map by Chelsea Elliott, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Chelsea Elliott
about 9 years ago
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The Irish Famine
- Consequences
- Population decline: over 1 million people died in the famine
and at least 1 million emigrated. Meaning that overall the
total population loss in Ireland became 2 million by 1851
- Consolidation of land : This was a problem as instead of farms getting smaller they
grew larger. Landlords were in debt after the famine so many anxious to sell off
their land. Also the cottier class almost died out and the tenants stopped dividing
their land.
- Change in marriage patterns : After the tenants stopped dividing
their land only 1 son could inherit it. However they had to wait for
their father to die before they could get anything. This led to many
people not being able to afford to get married at a young age.The
catholic church also became stricter about courting so there was a
large decling in birth rate.. Children who didn't inherit emigrated to
try and find work.
- Political: Increased republican feeling, the Irish diaspora (irish
people and descendants who live outside Ireland) increased
republicanism in areas such as the USA where high concentrations
of Irish lived.
- Population decline: over 1 million people died in the famine
and at least 1 million emigrated. Meaning that overall the
total population loss in Ireland became 2 million by 1851
- Causes
- Subdivision of land: Young boys who had farmers as dads had land
shared between them when they got married. On this land they had to
make a living for themselves and their families by growing their own
crops. this process continued as they shared their land with their sons
and so on until there was little amount of land for each family to live
off. In 1845 almost 200,000 families were living on less than 5 acres per
family and 135,000 others were living on less than 1 acre.
- Large population : As you could get married at a young
age 12 for girls and 14 for boys , the population was
increasing rapidly. Census showed that there were
8,175,000 people in Ireland and in 1800 there were 5
million at the most. Malthuse a famous historian
believed in the theory that when the population is too
quickly, a natural disaster will occur to limit its growth
- John Mitchells view: A famous nationalist historian in
1860 believed the English created the famine. He claimed
'they died of hunger in the midst of abundance' he then
went on to explain 'the almighty indeed sent the potato
blight but the Irish created the famine.'
- Potato blight: the Irish people relied on their potatoes to provide their meals
.On average they ate around 7 pounds of them everyday. so when the blight
came and wiped out their main food source, they were left with nothing. The
blight affected one and then spread to the rest quickly leaving them with no
potatoes at all.
- Subdivision of land: Young boys who had farmers as dads had land
shared between them when they got married. On this land they had to
make a living for themselves and their families by growing their own
crops. this process continued as they shared their land with their sons
and so on until there was little amount of land for each family to live
off. In 1845 almost 200,000 families were living on less than 5 acres per
family and 135,000 others were living on less than 1 acre.
- 1845: One third of the potato crops were
destroyed but there were still plenty of potatoes
remaining.
- 1846: Supplies were exhausted and son people were
starving. The prime minister Sir Robert Peel secrety
brought £100,000 of indian meal (maize) to Ireland.
Blight hit crops again.
- 1847: The harvest was a good one and although the crop
was smaller than usual, the situation was better that year.
- 1848: Blight struck once again
Nicknamed 'Black 47' due to the huge
loss of life.
- 1850: The famine appeared to be over at last.
- 1850: The famine appeared to be over at last.
- 1848: Blight struck once again
Nicknamed 'Black 47' due to the huge
loss of life.
- 1847: The harvest was a good one and although the crop
was smaller than usual, the situation was better that year.
- 1846: Supplies were exhausted and son people were
starving. The prime minister Sir Robert Peel secrety
brought £100,000 of indian meal (maize) to Ireland.
Blight hit crops again.
- Interpretations::
- The government acted appropriately: They
set up different forms of relief such as the
workhouse and the soup kitchens to help
the Irish people so that the majority of
them could get food.
- The government didn't act appropriately as they knew that the people in Ireland
were starving but refused to do anything about it. The Irish people even resorted
to stealing food because nothing was left for them and nobody in London wanted
to help.'They also used this as an opportunity to gain control over Ireland. The
almighty indeed created the potato blight but the English created the famine '
(quote used by John Mitchell to describe the governments response).
- The government acted appropriately: They
set up different forms of relief such as the
workhouse and the soup kitchens to help
the Irish people so that the majority of
them could get food.
- Chronology:
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