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Station 1 Documents
The cause (of the famine)was the flawed character of the
Irish.[Growing potatoesencourages] habits of indolence (laziness),
improvidence (carelessness), and waste.
The Plough, A Journal of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (London,
1846).
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Historical Context: The British were overwhelmingly protestant,
while the majority of
Irish were Catholic
Charitable groups and individuals established soup kitchensa
small number were evangelical
Protestant zealots. They gave soup, money, and clothing only to
Catholics who gave up their
faith and converted to Protestantism.
Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Black Potatoes: The Story of the
Great Irish Potato Famine,
1845-1850
http://darrylhattenhauer.com/h8/19/images/Cartoon%20Who%20s%20Boss_%20Irish%20mob%20and%20rum_jpg.jpg
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Station 2 Documents
Historical Context: The British government followed a policy of
laissez faire capitalism.
Free trade [demands]that no government surplus foodbe given to
the starving, in order to
leave the market for food undisturbed.British Prime Minister
Lord John Russell
The circumstances which appeared most aggravating was that the
people were starving in themidst of plenty, and [ships] carried
from the Irish ports corn sufficient [to feed] thousands ofthe
Irish people.
William Smith-OBrien, a wealthy land owner who was
sympathetic
to the plight of the Irish
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Station 3 Documents:
Historical Context: Absentee landlords realized that they could
earn more money by
using their property as pasture land, than they would renting it
to tenant farmers
Eviction: removing tenant from property
What the devil do we care about you or your black potatoes? It
was not us that made themblack. You will get two days to pay the
rent, and if you dont you know the consequences.
- Landlord quoted in the Freemans Journal, April 1846
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Station 4 Documents
Historical Context: in 1798, Thomas Malthus published An Essay
on the Principal ofPopulation, which argued that population growth,
if not controlled, would lead tostarvation. Disease, war, disaster
and famine were all necessary to control population
growth.
The cause (of the potato famine) was economic and natural law.
Famine seems to be the last,the most dreadful resource of nature.
The power of population (to grow) is so superior to thepower of the
earth to produce subsistence (enough food) for man, that premature
death must insome shape or other visit the human race.
Thomas Malthus, Essay on the Principle of Population (1798).
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Station 5 Documents:
Historical Context: Workhouses, which were built to house the
poor, were built to hold
100,000 people, but during the famine, millions were starving.
The British governmentimported Indian meal (maize) from the US and
sold it to the poor at a cheap price, but it
was still too expensive for most. The government also started
building projects to
provide jobs. Workers were paid at the end of the week and many
men died of
starvation before their wages arrived. Soup kitchens were set
up, but supplies werent
enough to meet demand.
The only way to prevent the people from becomingdependent on
Government [assistance] isto bring the food depots to a close (end
famine relief).
Charles Trevelyn, Secretary of the Treasury
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Caption: Starving peasants at the gates of a workhouse
