What is the Potato Famine?

The Irish population in 1845 was almost nine million people. The rot was caused by an air born fungus. Back then farmers usually lived on a piece of property owned by another person. Poverty played a big part in the potato famine. To pay off the rent, alot of the farmers crop was given to the land lord in replacement of money. Some of the Irish had animals and grew grains to pay their rent, but still many of them died because of the potato famine.

The potato was the main crop so when it died so did nearly 1 million people. About one and one forth million Irish familys left for the Americas to search foor food and a new life. Many farmers before the potato famine struggled with what was left of there crop after paying their land lord. The potato famine reached its climax in 1847. The potato famine will be remembered for a long time as a terrible thing because so many people died.