- Empire of Good: the famine in Ireland
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antihollywood- April 5th, 2013
The Great Famine in Ireland in the period between 1845-1849 years has caused devastating epidemics and mass emigration. During this period, the population of Ireland dropped by the most conservative estimates of a quarter. From famine killed more than one million people (estimated 1,029,552 people) about the same as the Irish were forced to emigrate from the island in search of a better life and a considerable part of them also died in wandering due to disease and malnutrition.
The cause of the famine was catastrophic crop failures caused by late blight disease, destroy potato tubers - Ireland's main agricultural culture. During this period of Phytophthora infestans suffered potato crops throughout Europe, it was a massive infection, which began in 1840. But, unlike Europe, Ireland's population is entirely dependent on potatoes.
For a long time the famine in Ireland remained insignificant event in the history of Great Britain and a disaster for the Irish. Only now the question is raised about the fact that the events of those years, which claimed so many lives, influenced by political, social and economic factors to a large extent.
The famine of 1845-1849 forever changed the face of Ireland, both in historical and in the demographic, political and cultural terms, . Britain did not notice, it is a reminder that, how can he love his loyal Queen Mother. Famine in Ireland as a major tool in the fight against Irish nationalist movements.
In the history of Ireland, as a rule, there are two periods: "before the hunger" and "after-starved." Hunger is also remembered as the greatest demographic disasters in Europe between the Thirty Years' War and the First World War, from which the country could not recover until the forties of the twentieth century!
So, what was the reason for the catastrophic situation of the Irish in the mid-nineteenth century. It would seem that the period when in a civilized country, located near the prosperous and omnipotent empire, such events are impossible. The reasons which had led to mass destruction of the Irish is not so difficult to understand, if you have the desire. However, the UK has never sought to publicize their random or intentional errors that a detailed study of all the more like a pure genocide.
Ireland nineteenth century
From 1801 Ireland was governed under the Union Act of 1800, as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The executive power was in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Ireland Secretary-General approved by the British government. From Ireland's 105 MPs in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and Ireland it was presented. Just 28 members of Parliament elected to the position of the House of Lords. Between 1832 and 1859 years, 70% of people in Ireland were the sons of landowners and landlords, not always had Irish roots.
With the conclusion of the alliance Britain repeatedly tried to change the control system in Ireland and hold a number of political and economic reforms. According to the British, it was agricultural country needs immediate change of priorities, both political and cultural. According to Benjamin Disraeli, the representative of the Conservative Party of Britain and future Prime Minister: "The Irish no more than hicks, have nothing in common with in their society with the aristocracy and even the faith they have - alien to the Christian."(Blake, Robert (1967), Disraeli, University paperbacks, St. Martin's Press, r.179)
From 1801 to 1845 years, Ireland was visited 114 committees and 61 special committees that analyzed the economic and social potential of Ireland. All as one, for forty years, he predicted disaster: Ireland was on the verge of starvation due to a rapidly growing population and a large number of unemployed, as well as poor living conditions, which made the standard of living is incredibly low. All these conclusions were issued against the backdrop of the dawn of the British government, which industry flourished, and economic growth has been one of the strengths of the Victorian era.
It is not a representative of the Commission did not bother to mention the back-breaking taxation of Irish and against land-lords to his subjects is better than treat British to the population of their colonies. In fact, Ireland can be fully be called a British colony.
Instead, criticism of Ireland succumbed laws forbidding Catholic education and completely ignored the problems in land laws. This led to the 1829 same was broken religious barrier and almost 80% have become Catholics. This has led to even greater impoverishment of the population, because the church had to be attributed weekly offerings. Given that most Catholics are converts from the poor, it is not difficult to imagine that in the search for protection in religion, the Irish found a source of additional costs.
At the same time, much of the well-off and the Irish landowners were Protestants. Landowners practically lived in Ireland, and all the time spent in London, as many of them were prominent politicians. In the realm disposed economy proteges, who controlled the work and sending taxes and food to Britain. Almost all the profits from agricultural and cattle were sent to Britain.
In 1843, the British government considered the issue of land legislation in Ireland. By the time the MPs came to the conclusion that this is the main cause of problems in the country. Special Royal Commission headed by Henry Earl of Devon Courtney was created to provide an overview of the land legislation in Ireland.
Daniel O'Connell, a prominent Irish politician, described the activities of the Commission as totally biased, since it consisted solely of landowners, not interested in radical . land reform legislation
in the first bad year - 1845, Earl of Devon said that "it is impossible to adequately describe the difficulties experienced by Irish farmers and their families ... in many areas of their only food was potatoes, and their only drink water. .. their shacks poorly protected from the weather ... a bed or blanket was a luxury ... and in almost all the yards, pigs and piles of excrement ... ". (Cecil Woodham-Smith, The Great Hunger, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1991 R.24)
Members of the commission came to the conclusion that changes in lifestyle and if the Irish will take place, it is only thanks to the patience and painstaking work on the legislative framework. In fact, the commission's work has been reduced to the fact that the Irish people would imagine inferior, incapable of self-organization and at the close the issue, not paying enough attention to the reasons of total poverty. Of course, dwell on this account was not profitable Honourable Lord, because the causes were incredible, onerous taxes.
Yet in the report of the commission mentioned the bad attitude of the landlords with their employees. The reason for this was the fact that Ireland has in fact conquered country, had no such a thing as hereditary aristocracy and the royal family. There were feudal lords in Ireland with a centuries-old family traditions and branched family tree. Most of the latter-day landowners believed that because their land was the only source of wealth, it means they need to extract as much money as possible.
A striking example of this relationship is the behavior lenlordov, openly declared that Ireland was a hostile place to live there, and as a result, no aristocracy was commonplace. Some landowners have visited his property only once or twice in his life and wanted to come back to see the poverty that surrounds them ownership. The money is to rent land regularly received in England. Over the forty years since the conclusion of an alliance with the Republic of Ireland six million pounds sterling was removed, fabulous money for that time. And all of these levies in the hands of governors of the landowners, whose talent has been evaluated in accordance with the amount of money that they can extort people, respectively extorted them from time to time, more and more.
As in Ireland since the eighteenth century, was widely used intermediaries system in negotiations between landowners and peasants. Through intermediaries land owners receive a steady income from their holdings.The use of mediation has become the most repressive gap in the history of Ireland, and themselves intermediaries called vampires and murderers of the earth.
The fact that the mediators have rented the land from the landowner, living thousands of kilometers away in London, at a certain price. After that, the mediator divided the land into small pieces and handed her rent to farmers at a much higher price. In turn, the mediator had every right to evict peasants from their homes for nonpayment of rent or for the opposition to engage in activity on the ground, set a mediator. For example, raise sheep instead of growing potatoes.
The mediator can change the terms of the lease, and even at the end of the lease to evict peasants from their homes for no reason. Although not always have to wait for the end of the lease, taking into account the status of Irish as an inferior people, they are subject to and the corresponding measures. Farmers in Ireland at that time were the most vulnerable class in the Victorian era. Only in Ulster tenant rights are respected, through the introduction of "the right to lease", whereby farmers receive compensation for any changes made to the terms of the contract. In many ways, Ulster, who was considered the prosperity and peace center in Ireland is obliged to these qualities, namely the rights of tenants.
Due to the fact that the Irish landowners used their powers without remorse and extorted from the peasants more and more, under the out of fear, the Irish were the most disadvantaged and marginalized people across Western Europe.
by 1845, 24% of all Irish households had an area of 0.4 to 2 m, and 40% more than 2 hectares, and reached up to 6 hectares. Given the low fertility of the land, which is mainly planted potatoes, unpretentious to the peculiarities of the island's climate. The British government knew that shortly before the Great Famine poverty was so widespread among the population, a third of all small farmers could not even feed their families after paying rent, except for income from seasonal work for which went to England and Scotland.Changes in the legislation on the division of the land for a certain size, have been made only after the tragic events of 1845-1849.
According to the census in 1841 the population of Ireland was 8 million. People, two thirds of whom depend on agriculture. However, most of the peasants had to work for the landowners in exchange for the right to build on their own agricultural land to feed his family. This system is forced to withdraw from attempts to the construction of various crops on their land, as only potatoes gave a sufficient harvest to maintain the whole family throughout the year, from harvest to harvest.
In fact, devoid of plot peasant automatically doomed to starvation.
The beginning of the Great Famine.
Infection potato late blight was one of the main causes of hunger in Ireland.
The potato was introduced to Ireland as a garden plant. At the end of the seventeenth century will be a food additive, while the main food will still bread, milk and cereal-based products. In the first two decades of the eighteenth century, the potato became the staple food of the poor, especially in winter. In view of economic reforms between 1760 and 1815 years, the Irish were forced to go entirely on potatoes as a staple food throughout the year in all small farms.
One of the reforming elements was the transition Most of farms by cultivation of crops for breeding cattle, which is completely left in UK. Here, what about this says Jeremy Rifkin, American economist and publicist, "the British colonialists, converted most of the fields in a huge pasture to raise cattle, saturating its market missing product. British predilection for beef has had a devastating impact on the poor mendicant and Ireland. Withdrawal of the best land has forced the Irish to turn the potatoes, the crop from which can be obtained in a poor useful to trace the local soil. In the end, the cows took most of Ireland, leaving the local population is almost entirely dependent on potatoes. "
Before the advent of the disease Phytophthora infestans, there were only two major potato diseases. One was called "dry rot", and the other was a virus, known as "svertysha."
After the famine in 1851, it was drawn up a report on all crop failures in Ireland. Before the Great Famine was 24 lean years, which, as noted, is still not as detrimental impact on agriculture. Crop failure was observed in 1728, 1739 and 1740. In 1807, half of the crop was destroyed, but it was not a disaster. Then it was barren in 1821 and 1822. Then the potato crop is completely lost in Munster and Connaught. In 1830 and 1831 County Mayo, Donegal and Galway were left without a crop. In 1832, 1833, 1834 and 1836 a large number of areas suffered serious losses, and in 1835, the harvest failed in Ulster. In 1836 and 1837 harvests were weak throughout Ireland, which recurred in 1839 throughout the country. And in 1841 and 1844 were disastrous for crop failure.
Just to say how Phytophthora infestans hit in Europe is difficult to say, this pest until 1844 did not show himself in this land. At least one of the sources of infection could be fertilizers, which were transported in cargo ships from Peru.
The first mention of the late blight appeared in 1844 in the Irish newspapers. It has been reported about the disease, which two years ago (1842) destroyed the potato crop in America. It seems probable source of infection was the eastern part of the United States, where in 1843 and 1844 similar to the plague devastated the potato plantation. Based on this fact, it can be assumed and that the Court Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York brought the disease in European ports. It is possible, and that the disease was transferred through the ocean along with the potatoes, used for cooking food.
Once in Europe, the disease spread rapidly. In late summer and early autumn of 1845, it reached Central Europe. In Belgium, the Netherlands, northern France and southern England crops suffering from late blight.
August 16, 1845 "Vedomosti Gardeners" magazine published an article in which the effects of the disease have been described: in Belgium were empty almost all the fields. No healthy potato tuber on the market in Covent Garden! These articles were published also in Irish newspapers.
On September 13, "Vedomosti Gardeners" reported that the disease was discovered in Ireland. The British government, however, did not go into a panic, and optimistic about the current situation.
Yield losses in 1845 amounted to 50%. In Dublin, were hundreds of letters from all over Ireland, which reported the monstrous crop failure. November 19, 1845 it was officially announced the loss of 1/3 of the potato crop.
In 1846, three-quarters of agricultural crops have been lost due to the pest. In December of the same year, nearly 300 thousand. Irish were left without means of subsistence. It was a poor harvest in 1846 led Ireland to the edge, when it was necessary to take drastic measures. But London remained silent, continuing to receive timely taxes and ships with cattle. The situation has not changed in the lean 1847, and in 1848, when the risen only 2/3 of all crops. Almost 3 million Irish were left to their own Government in Britain.
While the central government remained inactive, local authorities could only pray for help as its capacity to fight hunger in poor Ireland almost there. Dublin Corporation is a frank step. In London he sent to Queen Victoria monument, with a plea for the extraordinary convening of Parliament (at the time Parliament was on vacation), and a request for the allocation of money for public works. Belfast City Council convened an emergency meeting and sent a similar proposal. But the request remained unanswered ...
Here, what about this wrote journalist and political activist, John Mitchell: "London referred to the fact that, since Ireland was not an integral part of the Kingdom, the problems of the island should be dealt with local authorities on the basis of local budgets ". Mitchell was sure that if Yorkshire and Lancashire have suffered similar disasters the Queen, no doubt, would take immediate action as soon as possible. " This proves once again that the UK did not apply to the Irish as a full-fledged citizens of the Empire and as people in general.
John Mitchell
Council of Dublin citizens, among them such prominent political and public figures as Augustus Fitzgerald Valentine Lawless and Daniel O'Connell, appealed to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and made a number of proposals to stabilize the situation. They offered to open the ports for import of grain for a while, stop the export of grain from Ireland. Given the critical situation of food, these measures would be most effective.However, the Lord Lieutenant Hetsberi refused their initiatives. He explained his decision by the fact that the measures proposed by the Council "premature" and the situation with potatoes epidemic do scientists direction of England.
Scientists (Playfair and Lindley) really have been sent to check the facts of the epidemic of late blight and reports were sent regularly to London from all areas. Inspectors confirmed the weak yield and tuber disease ascertained, but their reports have summarized the current problems of excessive exaggeration.
December 8, 1845 Daniel O'Connell proposes a "right of the tenant," similar in Ulster, Ireland throughout the territory. Payments farmers were able at least to some extent to improve their plight, and to make ends meet.
O'Connell then proposed to use legal methods of Belgians during the same season: close the ports for export, but open to imports. He suggested that the harvest would remain in Ireland, and did not go for export.O'Connell demanded by the Irish parliament for decisive action, up to break the union with Britain by 1800.
However, almost all the initiatives and requirements were reduced to nothing.
John Mitchell February 14, 1846 he called the situation catastrophic and wondered why until now the government has not outlined a plan action to resolve the food crisis, as if the political elite is trying to ignore the fact that in a short time millions of Irish people will have nothing to eat. "
February 28 Mitchell wrote about Ireland's rescue plan, which will be voted on in the House of Lords. He noted that such a project can not conceive of obstacles. Nevertheless, the Government continues to reject all proposals of the Irish side, referring to the fact that they do not have to feed the Irish people.
In the article "Rule of Fire" on March 7, 1846, Mitchell wrote that the Irish people expect hunger day after day, and instead of helping from the government, he gets the fruits of greed and brutal policy of England.Mitchell confident that Ireland was thrown to death by starvation is not more than the greed of England.According to him, people were on the brink of survival, while corn-laden ships, raised the sails and went towards the well-fed Britain.
Mitchell one of the first accused Britain of deliberately ignoring and silencing the famine in Ireland. He is not only one of the first to describe the famine of those years, but also openly accused Britain of deliberately killing the Irish. For this he was prosecuted for libel, but the jury acquitted him. Then he was again prosecuted for treason and sentenced to 14 years' exile in Bermuda.
Irish newspaper The Nation quoted Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish nationalist politician and later colonizer Australia: one of the means that the rest of Europe adopted in times of despair was to preserve food produced in the country to feed its people.
Ireland has, in accordance with the Law of the Union of 1800, an integral part of the British Empire, "the richest empire on earth" and "the most fertile part of the empire." And yet, the elected representatives of Ireland in the British Parliament was not enough to act on behalf of the country and protect its interests.Commenting on this, John Mitchel wrote, "On the island say that we belong to the richest empire in the world, and this empire can be for five years to lose two and a half million of their own people (more than one quarter) of starvation, disease and the subsequent emigration ... . ".
The period of the Great Famine in Ireland from 1845 to 1851, was a period of political confrontation glow, the emergence of separatist sentiment and calls for armed insurrection.
To be continued...
Friday, October 28, 2016
Empire of Good: the famine in Ireland
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