An examination of the role of the British government, society and economics in bringing about and dealing with the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1849 and its consequences.
Written in 2002; 3,751 words; 13 sources; MLA; $ 103.95
Paper Summary:
This paper discusses the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1849 which stemmed from a then unknown fungus disease, phytophtora infestans, which ruined most of the Irish potato crops in 1845 and 1846. It looks at how British policy toward the relief of the misery and suffering caused by the potato blights was hamstrung by a rigid, narrow and basically inhuman economic doctrine which served the interests of the governing classes in Great Britain at the expense of the starving and diseased masses of Ireland afflicted as a result of the Famine.
Outline
Introduction and Summary Conclusions
Development of the Potato Monoculture and Obstacles to Reform
Peel's Response to the Famine, 1845-46
Failures of the Whigs after Mid-1846
British Society and Irish Relief
Upper and Middle Class Arrogance and Indifference
Overall Assessment
Conclusion
From the Paper:
"The first potato blight which struck the harvest of 1845 caught political leaders and government officials by surprise because previous potato crop failures had been localized, and, according to Percival, "the potato crop had never failed for two years running" (42). Ireland had been relatively prosperous in the late 18th century. It benefitted from the strong demand and high prices for agricultural products during the Napoleonic wars. However, according to Whelan, after 1815, "agricultural prices halved" and "the linen industry was dislocated by the advent of factory-spinning and weaving" (25). Almost all of Ireland other than Ulster remained agricultural. In 1801, Parliament at Westminster destroyed the last vestige of Irish autonomy by abolishing the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union. "
We have thousands of high-quality term papers, research papers, essays, book reports and dissertations on every topic. At AcaDemon, you can download those term papers to help you write yours! You can be sure that the term paper, essay, book report or research paper you download are top-quality, competitively priced and high-level work.
This Free Term Paper Abstract is a part of our Term Paper Library.Here you can purchase research papers, examples of essays, academic dissertations, articles, notes, analytical papers, book reports, stories and poems. We have thousands of persuasive, point-of-view, narrative, critical, compare and contrast and other types of essays in our Library. You can also find here Term papers on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Essays on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Research papers on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Student papers on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Book reports on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Dissertation on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Thesis on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Summary of paper on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain", Articles written on "The Great Famine of Ireland and Great Britain".