The Irish Potato Famine

In the 1840s, a disease killed most of the potato crops in Ireland. Potatoes were the main food for millions of poor Irish families. Without potatoes, people starved. About one million people died and another million left Ireland to find a better life.

The Blight Hits

A plant disease called blight turned healthy potatoes into black, rotten mush. It struck in 1845 and lasted for several years. Poor farmers had no other food to eat. The British government, which ruled Ireland at the time, did not do enough to help.

Leaving Ireland

Millions of Irish people left their homeland during and after the famine. Many sailed to the United States, Canada, and Australia. The journey across the ocean was long and dangerous. Irish immigrants helped build new communities in their new countries.

Fun Facts

• Ireland's population dropped by about 25 percent because of the famine.
• Many Irish immigrants arrived in America through New York City.
• Before the famine, about one-third of Ireland's people depended on potatoes for nearly all their food.

Did You Know?

Today, there are far more people of Irish descent living in the United States than there are people living in Ireland.