A Bit of England and Ireland

England/United Kingdom

England Physical Characteristics The Highlands along the west coast are rocky and rise up to 3,000 feet, making the land difficult to farm. The Midlands are to the southeast, and the thick veins of coal that were there fueled England’s Industrial Revolution, which built up the population density in the area. In the south and east are the Lowlands, which have fertile soil that produces abundant crops.

Ireland

Ireland Physical Characteristics Ireland is shaped like a huge bowl, with hills ringing most of the coastline. Ireland’s moist climate keeps vegetation a brilliant green, making its nickname “The Emerald Isle.”

Potato Famine Many people were emigrating form Ireland to the United States, for many this was their only hope for survival.

Here are some facts about the famine in Ireland People emigrated from Ireland to America. Many died on the way over due to illness and also because the ships were overcrowded and unsuitable for sailing the Atlantic. This gave rise to the name “coffin ships”. The famine started in 1845. It ended in 1851. This was a tragic time for Ireland.

Black ‘47 Black ‘47 was the worst of all the years of the famine. This is a potato affected by “blight”

This disturbing picture shows a family trying to survive It was a hard life trying to get food Many families were crammed into one house

The soup kitchen during the great famine in Ireland. In 1848, 834,000 people depended on soup kitchens. There was little or no food around at that time One of the parents, usually the father, would travel miles to the nearest soup kitchen. If he made it he would get food for his family and make the journey home again

Many people were not so lucky Many people were not so lucky. They either died on the way to or from the soup kitchen from hunger and exhaustion Today, Ireland is very different. We now have people coming to Ireland rather than fleeing from it. We should never forget our past and remember what it was like when we needed help and had to emigrate in order to survive

Diseases Dysentery Typhoid Cholera Typhus Théophile Hamel 1849 Montreal Grosse Isle, the Quebec quarantine hospital, with only 150 beds, was not prepared for the hundreds of typhus victims from Ireland.   In four days in May 1847 it had to deal with over 500 typhus sufferers. 5,300 died there that year. Another 15,000 died soon after landing in British North America.