Chapter 13 - The Famine

Question 1

What are the causes of the Irish Famine?

Answer 1

1. Potato Blight
2. Over-reliance on the potato
3. Subdivision of land

Question 2

Explain potato blight.

Answer 2

The potato blight was a fungus that attacked potatoes as they grew. It rotted the potato and made it impossible to eat.

Question 3

Explains they’re over-reliance on the potatoe.

Answer 3

The poor people which had very little land, could only grow potatoes as they were cheap, nutritious and only needed a small patch of land to grow.

Question 4

Explain subdivision of land.

Answer 4

The practise of dividing land between a farmer’s sons. Led to very small farms.

Question 5

What did the British do to help them?

Answer 5

1. Works schemes set up
2. Workhouses set up
3. Indian maize imported

Question 6

What were work schemes?

Answer 6

Those who had no food did hard labour (building ‘Famine Roads’) in order to earn money to buy food.

Question 7

What were workhouses?

Answer 7

These were meant to clear the roads of the poor and starving who were evicted or who left their home of food.

Question 8

What was the Indian maize?

Answer 8

Maize imported from America to distribute to population on the orders of the Prime Minister, Robert Peel. There was no instructions with the maize, and many were unable to eat it and therefore starved.

Question 9

What were the consequences of the Irish Famine?

Answer 9

1. Population Halved: 1 million died, 3 million emigrated to UK and USA.
2. Subdivision Ended: Land given to eldest son. Others emigrated.
3. IRB: Many angry at UK for their response. Irish Republican Brotherhood began.