THE GREAT

HUNGER
1800-1845
 THE
EMERALD
ISLE
• The emerald isle
is a beautiful
island of Europe.
• It is known for its
beauty and strong
economic health.
• Tourism remains a
prime industry.
HARD
TIMES
• Between 1800-1840
Ireland’s population
increased by 50%.
• Industry was not
enough to support so
many people.
• Farmers grew wheat
to pay rent and
potatoes to feed their
families.
 A HORRIBLE
DISCOVERY
• Farmers made a horrible discovery when they
went to their fields on a foggy, fall decay in 1845.
• Smell of decay filled in air and all the fields were
destroyed.
• People dug the land but all potatoes were
destroyed and people were worried that how they
will survive this season, and waited for spring.
• Cause of this destruction was not clear.
 FIRST WINTER
• The landlords took the grains as rent, now people
had nothing to eat so they started searching for
work.
• Government opened large workhouses and public
work projects to provide jobs.
• People worked for long hours. Work was hard and
pay was low.
 • Finally the long winter ended, and farmers
HOPE, DISASTER & waited for new potato crop but disaster struck
RELIEF again in august.
• People had nothing left but to go to workhouses.
• Many diseases spread and people died of
typhus and cholera then of starvation.
• Many other people helped and immigrants in
America sent money to help family and friends.
• Soups kitchens opened and people stood
outside in long lines for soups and piece of
bread.
 GOING TO AMERICA
• Every penny people had was spent over food and they were left with
nothing.
• Some landlord temporarily helped their tenants by providing grains
and money and other burned or empty houses to avoid paying taxes.
• People migrated to America in huge ships,
• Many people died in the way because of diseases and those who
reached America were sick and weak
• Irish emigrants were called coffin ships.
 AFTERMATH
• The potato blight was over by 1852 but Ireland was
changed forever. Many people died and many
migrated.
• Population dropped from over 8.5 million to 5 million
and further.
• Many people blamed Britain for not helping and
divided Ireland in two countries in 1922.
CONCLUSION

• Scientists discovered that potato plants died

because of disease called LATE POTATO BLIGHT.
It is caused because of PHYTHOPHTHORA
INFESTANS.
• Famine ended but Ireland was changed
completely. People continued to migrate to America
and started their own businesses.
• Many famous Americans have Irish background.
• People still celebrate Irish culture, its holidays and
traditions and continue to popularize Irish literature.