No potato blight but there are also no seeds to plant so famine continues

Donations are received from The Queen of England and the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

The irish Diaspora refers to Irish people who emigrated throughout the 19th century and in particular, during and after the famine. 1 Million people emigrated during the famine. And this trend of mass migration continued in Ireland. It wasn’t until 1970 that in migration overtook outmigration.

Irish people travelled to places such as the UK, The USA, Australia and Canada. Whilst in these countries, many Irish people lived in harsh conditions and were poorly received by natives from each country.

In Britian, many Irish people moved to working class cities such as Liverpool and Manchester. They struggled to get work and often begged for money and survival. The took jobs at very low wages and were therefore resented by British workers. They lived in slums and suffered from diseases such as typhus and cholera. They were a key part of the transport revolution with many working as navvies on road and rail projects. 10% of the British population have an Irish grandparent.

In the US, many Irish arrived in New York through Ellis Island. They were uneducated and competed for manual labour jobs on building sites. They were often discriminated against with signs such as “no Irish need apply” Many of the Irish who travelled over during the famine were recruited straight off the docks to fight in the American Civil War. As working conditions improved, many 2nd generation Irish Immigrants joined the police forces such as the NYPD. ,41 Million Americans claim Irish heritage today.

The agricultural revolution is a period in time when vast changes were made to the farming industry which resulted in greater food supplies and less manual labour. These changes led to the farm to factory movement.

Charles Townshend founded the Norfolk System. A four field crop rotation that didn’t require a field to be left fallow to replenish its nutrients. Jethro Tull invented the seed drill. This meant that seed could be spread easily and in straight lines without the need for numerous peasants. The mechanical reaper invented by Cyrus McCormick also reduced the need for peasants and helped to steadily increase food supply while also reducing the amount of manual labour. Robert Bakewell introduced selective breeding which produced better livestock.

Collectively all of these changes, increased food supply. This meant there was less famine. Farms became more productive and cheaper to run as farmers didn't need as much labour. This led to peasants moving to cities and towns as there was no work for them on farms anymore. This became known as the farm to factory movement.

The Industrial revolution was a period in time when people changed from producing small amounts of goods by hand in their homes to mass production of goods in factories. These changes were brought about by inventions that needed space and people to operate them. It also led to the mass exploitation of workers.

When people made goods in their home it was known as the cottage industry. But inventions such as the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves made weaving cloth far more efficient. The power loom by Edmund Cartwright was a steam powered loom which could produce the same amount of cloth as 100 weavers. These machines were so big they couldn’t be used in someone’s home so therefore bigger buildings which could store and operate multiple machines were set up. These were known as factories. People flocked to factories for work where conditions were poor and dangerous, working hours were long and pay was poor.

Factories significantly reduced the cost of clothes and products, however for skilled weavers, these machines meant they couldn’t compete and put many of them ouut of business.