Irish Potato Famine

Over 2 million people died from starvation or other diseases in their hunger weakened state during the famine. Potatoes were a valued part of the Irishman’s diet since they were so easy to grow even if Ireland’s worst soil, so when the potato blight began, people lost a big part of their diet. Two fifths of the population of Ireland relied solely on potatoes for food, and so when the potatoes became contaminated, it was very hard to find a food to replace it. Even if the people did not die of starvation, in their hungered state, it was much easier to contract other diseases, that many people died of. Many people lost their homes and were forced onto the streets, and when a homeless person died their body would be left in the street where other
impoverished people lived, and there are many health risks that can come from the improper disposal of bodies. Even if the people had been lucky enough to America, On the journey to america it was easy to contract scurvy, Xerophthalmia or water borne diseases such as cholera.