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The UK, Ireland and India
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In the 1800s, Ireland was under direct British rule. English landlords owned most of the land. Managers ran the farms, and the owners seldom visited. Poor Irish peasants did the farm work. To feed their families, the peasants grew potatoes. For many, potatoes were the only food they ate. Disaster struck in the 1840s. When peasants dug up their potatoes, they were rotten. A disease called potato blight had destroyed them. Soon people were starving. Most of the landlords did nothing to help. During the famine, about one million people died. Another million emigrated from Ireland. The trauma of these dark times is still felt in Ireland today.
STARTING POINT
The Famine
Use the internet to find out how many Irish people emigrated to America during the famine in the 1800s.
rule styre landlords jordeierne managers bestyrere peasants leilendinger, småbønder
disaster katastrofe dug (dig) up gravde opp potato blight en sykdom på potetplanten
famine hungersnød emigrate flytte fra
