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    Irish Potato Famine | Extra History Complete | Irish History



    When you’re done learning about the Irish Potato Famine, head over to Patreon! https://bit.ly/EHPatreon Where you’ll get to suggest and vote on our next series, get exclusive content, and access to our discord server! All while helping the show out in the process.

    The 1845 potato blight struck Ireland after first hitting the United States, but the famine’s devastating impact in Ireland was worsened by political and bureaucratic failures. British Prime Minister Robert Peel repealed the Corn Laws to lower food prices but failed to effectively address Irish suffering. Sir Charles Trevelyan, influenced by Malthusian ideas, prioritized protecting markets over saving lives, leading to catastrophic consequences in 1847, known as “Black ’47.”

    Mass evictions by landlords under the Poor Laws displaced countless Irish families, driving many to emigrate. However, Irish immigrants often faced xenophobia and hostility in their new homes, such as in New York City’s Five Points neighborhood. Efforts to address the crisis, including those by Irish leaders like Daniel O’Connell and the Young Irelanders, faltered due to political division and limited resources, leaving Ireland in chaos and despair.

    You can donate to help feed the world below
    Oxfam Ireland: https://www.oxfamireland.org/
    Oxfam America: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/

    We really enjoyed revisiting this series and getting to implement the viewer feedback that Rob had previously only been able to address in Lies. Original Lies video here: https://youtu.be/q3cE_pQhBOU
    Please let us know in the comments below if you enjoyed this, and we look forward to sharing the next one with you all.

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    *CHAPTERS*
    00:00 – Intro to The Irish Potato Famine
    01:00 – Chapter 1: Isle of Blight
    10:34 – Chapter 2: The Corn Laws
    20:47 – Chapter 3: Black ’47
    31:49 – Chapter 4: The American Wake
    42:03 – Chapter 5: The Young and The Old

    Thanks for the high-quality conversations & for following our community guidelines here: https://bit.ly/ECFansRNice

    Artist: Nick DeWitt | Writer: Robert Rath | Showrunner & Narrator: Matthew Krol | Video Editor: Devon House Creative | Audio Editor: Clean Waves | Studio Director: Geoffrey Zatkin | Social Media: Kat Rider | ♪ Music “A Warmer Place Rowan’s Jig” by Tiffany Roman

    #history #ireland #extrahistory

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    39 Comments

    3. @Gypsygeekfreak17 on

      The Irish Potato Famine was a tragic event, but the narrative that "the British caused it by stealing food" is misleading and oversimplified. Let’s look at the actual facts:

      The Root Cause: The famine was caused by the potato blight, a natural disaster that wiped out the primary food source for millions of Irish people. This wasn’t a British policy—it was an agricultural crisis.

      British Relief Efforts: The British government spent £8 million (an enormous sum at the time, equivalent to billions today) on relief efforts, including:

      Setting up soup kitchens in 1847, which fed millions.
      Creating public works programs, employing over 700,000 Irish people so they could earn wages to buy food.
      Importing Indian corn (maize) from America, organized by Prime Minister Robert Peel, to provide affordable food during the crisis.
      Maintaining workhouses under the Poor Law system, which, while harsh, offered food and shelter to the destitute.
      Allowing mass migration to Britain, even though this brought typhus and other diseases. Despite the cost and strain, Britain absorbed many Irish refugees.
      Funding emigration programs, helping thousands relocate to America, Canada, and Australia.
      The Role of Irish Landlords: Many Irish landlords—often wealthy and Irish themselves—continued to export grain and livestock for profit during the famine, instead of using it to feed their starving tenants. They also evicted countless tenants who couldn’t pay rent, worsening the crisis.

      The Myth of Food Being "Stolen": Claims that "the British stole Irish food" aren’t accurate. The exported food was sold by Irish landlords to markets, not seized by the British government. Blaming Britain exclusively ignores the role of local greed and exploitation.

      The Myth of Turkish Ships: There’s a popular myth that Britain blocked Turkish ships carrying aid for Ireland, but there’s no historical evidence this ever happened. This was likely a nationalist exaggeration to villainize Britain further.

      Charity and Aid: Many British citizens donated generously to famine relief, including Queen Victoria, who personally gave £2,000 (a huge sum at the time). Churches and charities in England also contributed significantly.

      Wealthy Irish Who Didn’t Help: While most Irish people were suffering, there were also wealthy Irish individuals who could have done more to help but chose not to intervene. This was not purely a case of "British oppression."

      The Takeaway:
      Yes, British policies at the time had flaws—like reliance on laissez-faire economics—but it’s unfair to suggest the British government intentionally caused the famine. Relief efforts were flawed but significant, and £8 million was spent trying to mitigate the crisis. Meanwhile, local Irish landlords and wealthy individuals also contributed to the suffering by prioritizing profits over people.

      History is complex, and the famine was a combination of natural disaster, systemic failures, and local exploitation. Blaming one group alone doesn’t reflect the full truth. Let’s aim for nuance and facts when discussing these events.

    4. @melboyer2291 on

      I've heard this story many times before and it always amazes me just how much ireland has survived. I am a descendant of those who fled in the 1800's, and I hope someday I get to visit. I hope even more that someday they get their freedom from England.

    7. @sheilakirby5616 on

      I'VE VERY MUCH ENJOYED YOUR CONTENT MY FRIENDS AND FOR THIS ALONE MY FRIEND YOU HAVE JUST EARNED YOURSELF A NEW SUBSCRIBER ❣️❣️❣️

      I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HISTORY ALONG WITH HISTORICAL EVENTS *

      AND HOW , WHO , AND WHY THEY STARTED AND ENDED *

    12. @Emanon... on

      Yet another genocide either enacted or fully supported by Westminster. And likely another one which they'll never be held accountable.
      Who would've thought that this would still be true of the British government and contemporary events in 2024-2025?

    15. @SeauxNOLALady on

      Here in New Orleans, we have a large population of Irish descendants of the immigrants who fled the potato famine. The neighborhood that they mostly lived in is called The Irish Channel neighborhood. The city has a rich Irish and Italian heritage and there’s even a parade called The Irish Italian Parade which celebrates the city’s heritage that was influenced by its Irish/Italian culture which is still alive today.

    16. @crisptomato9495 on

      Fun fact: if you go to Quebec nowadays you can find a good chunk of French Canadians with last names like Fitzgerald or Dolan despite some of them not even speaking a lick of English. This is because many Québécois families who adopted Irish children orphaned by the Atlantic Crossing allowed them to keep their Irish surnames rather than forcing them to take on the adoptive parents’ French family names. I always thought that was kind of sweet.

    27. @YourDad-h8u on

      Merchants dont have units of dragoons it was the kings men that stole the food from ireland and starved the irish into a genocide they have never recovered from

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