This terrible famine (1845-1852), was due to a disease of the potato and it affected all of Europe but hit Ireland harder than most places causing around a million people to die and over a million people to leave the country (this was a quarter of their population). The main reason people left is that for most farmers in Ireland, potatoes were their only crop.
The economic impact of this famine reached pretty much every household in Ireland because the Nobles couldn’t collect taxes from properties that were no longer inhabited which meant they had to decrease their staff (armies, household, etc.). They could no longer buy a lot of things which hurt local merchants. Without these jobs they became part of the exodus.
Anyhow, a short article that I hope will remind you about what you learned in school all those years ago (at least for some of you). I for one can’t imagine what these poor people went through. In my opinion this is one of the most tragic events in history.
The economic impact of this famine reached pretty much every household in Ireland because the Nobles couldn’t collect taxes from properties that were no longer inhabited which meant they had to decrease their staff (armies, household, etc.). They could no longer buy a lot of things which hurt local merchants. Without these jobs they became part of the exodus.
Anyhow, a short article that I hope will remind you about what you learned in school all those years ago (at least for some of you). I for one can’t imagine what these poor people went through. In my opinion this is one of the most tragic events in history.
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