The Famine Flashcards
What was the population in 1841
8.2 million
What was the population in 1801
5.5 million
What was life like in Belfast and Dublin
-Overcrowding=serious problem. 1-2 families living in 1 room
-Diseases(smallpox,scarlet fever) common. Infant deaths also common
-Adults and children worked in factories and on the docks.5.30am to 8pm. With Sundays off
Life in rural Ireland
70% of population lived in the countryside
-Irish married young and had large familys
-Enclosure and improvements to farming methods arrived in Ireland and new machinery produced more food than ever
What did Ireland export to Britain
Livestock (cattle) and grain
While Ireland make food, what was made in Britain
Industrial goods
Who owned most of the land
Descendants of the planters
Who were large farmers
Farmers who rented more than 30 acres
Who were small farmers
Farmers who rented between 5 and 30 acres
Who were cottiers
Labourers who rented one acre of farmland. They made up 1/4 of the population
The government of Ireland : the act of union
-1801
-Irish parliament ceased to exist
-now send 100mps to house of commons in Westminister and represent ped by 32 peers in house of lords
-laws passed in london applied to ireland
Where was the government of ireland based
Dublin Castle
Who was the head of the government of Ireland
Chief Secretary and was based in london
How was the british king represented in Ireland
Lord lieutenant
What was Catholic emancipation
The goal for Catholics, :that they be allowed to sit in parliament
Why could Catholics not become mos even if elected
They had to swear an oath r recognising the king of england as head of the Church
What is parliamentary tradition
The use of peaceful political means to achieve political change
When was the great famine
1845-1850
What is potato blight
Fungus that spreads in damp and humid weather and destroys potato crops
Causes of the great famine
-rise in poluation
-widespread poverty
-small farms
-reliance on the potato
-cottiers working for rent rather than money
-potato blight
Course of the faming: 1845
-farmers noticed potato stalks turning black and a strange smell for fields
-potatos were rotten
-potatos in storage from last harvest prevented mass starvation
Course of the faming: 1856
-2/3 of crops were lost and people used ip their reserves
-poorest began to starve
-disease spread as immune systems were weak
Course of the faming: 1847 (black 47)
-virtually no potato blight left but people had few seeds to plant
-poor continued to die of hunger and disease
Course of the faming: 1848-1850
-starvation and disease worsened
-40,000 more people died in 1850 that 1846
What is eviction
When someone is forced out of their home
What does laissez-faire mean
Government should not interfere in the economy, as it would correct itself eventually
Famine relief efforts: maize
-cheap corn from usa
-enough to feed one million people for one month
-offered at cost price, but many still couldn’t afford it
Famine relief efforts : Public work schemes
-people earned money by building roads, walls or bridges
-1846, 400,00 people involved in work schemes
-1 shilling per day
Famine relief efforts workhouses
-large building where people worked in return for basic accommodation and food
-whole family entered together so landlords could clear their land
Famine relief efforts the Quakers
-religious society of friends
-set up soup kitchens (limerick + waterford)
-soup kitchens=gave soup to starving people who were not in workhouses
Impact of the famine: fall in population
-the population droped by 2 million
-1mil died
-1mil left ireland
Impact of the famine change in farming practices
-famine ended subdivision of land.a farm no longer was split between sons; the eldest inherited everything.-larger farms but younger sons and daughters had to emigrate
- many landlords used their land for cattle farming. Ireland shifted to largely cattle rearing farming
Impact of the famine Rise in anti-British feeling
-many blamed the british for the famine and this led for lots of support for nationalist groups
Impact of the famine Decline in Irish language
Over time people began to favour english over Irish as it would help them get work over seas if emigration was necessary
Impact of the famine. Ew emigration trends
In 1881 the population had dropped y 3 million since 1841.
-7as and britain were popular destinations
