The Famine Flashcards
1
Q
What is a potato blight
A
Is a fungus that spreads in damp and humid weather, destroying potato crops.
2
Q
Name 3 causes of the famine
A
1.the reliance on the potato
2. The potato blight
3. Rise in population
3
Q
Name 3 famine relief efforts
A
- Peel sent aid in the form of maize (cheap corn from the USA)
- Aworkhouse was a large building where people worked in return for basic accommodation and food.
- Soup kitchens gave soup to starving people who were not in workhouses.
4
Q
Name 3 impacts of the great famine in Ireland
A
- Decrease in population: From 1845 to 1850, the population dropped from 8 million to about 6 million due to 1 million deaths and 1 million emigrations.
- Changes in farming practices: Land subdivision ended
- Rise in anti-British feeling: The British government’s response led to increased support for nationalist groups and a desire for Home Rule
5
Q
What are coffin ships
A
overcrowded and poorly maintained ships used to transport Irish emigrants to America and other countries during the Great Famine,
