Madison++Rushing

Madison Rushing Social Studies Potato Famine in Ireland



 On September 1845 a potato famine hit Ireland and basically wiped out all of the potato farms. No one knew how it started but knew what it was caused by. It was caused by an air born fungus called **//phytophthora infestans//** originally coming from a ship that was coming from North America to England. After it traveled to Southern England the winds carried it across to the country side called __Dublin__. The potatoes were blackened curled and shriveled just like the picture above. About one million people died and another fled the area. During this time some people stayed and hoped for the best even though there was no money and food coming in to them. By October 1845, the news of the famine reached London. The British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, established a Scientific Commission to find out the problem. After studying the problem the commission issured gloomy news that half of Ireland’s potato crops might perish due to ‘wet rock.’ While that was going on other people who were not scientists made theories about the blight. One theory was that “static electricity in the air resulting from newly arrived locomotives trains caused it.” Some others reasoned that “mortiferous vapors from volcanoes emanating from the center of the earth might have done it.” Catholics viewed the problem

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