British Governments Reaction to the Great Irish Famine After 1845 - Essay Example

British Government’s reaction to the Great Irish Famine after 1845 Introduction and initial stages In reference to Waldman and Mason 1 potato was the main source of food in Ireland in the wake of the great Irish famine of 1845-1850. In The Economist2 the Ireland policy of ‘Laisse Faire’ (no interference markets or the economy) became disastrous when the famine struck as it implied no quick way of rectifying the crisis. Ireland also had a higher population by 1844 but, unlike Britain, lacked industrial jobs. Hence, the practice of the land division implied that peasants, if they were to live, needed to yield the biggest crop yield possible3. The famine was perhaps the greatest social calamity, in terms of starvation, suffering and mortality that Ireland has ever undergone. According to Donnelly4, the famine’s terms of reference (TOR) and description hints at its density and complexity5. Ó Murchadha6 described that, the calamity has been referred to and stated as ‘the Gorta Mór’, ‘the great Irish famine’, ‘the Irish potato famine’, ‘great hunger’, and in some Irish-language communities, ‘blianta and droch-soil’ denoting the years of the difficult or bad life7. As outlined in The Economist8, the prominent facts of the calamity are not arguable. It was caused by an unknown fungus by late summer 1845. The blight becomes more severe in 1846 and virtually destroyed the entire potato fields. Gray9 also outlined that, in 1847, the devastations of hunger, starvation and various diseases earned for that year the description of ‘Black ‘47’. Sperber10 also outlined that, in 1848, the blight became more severe, particularly in the south and west areas of Ireland with population pressure and greatest poverty levels. The fractional potato failure in 1849 and 1850 extended the suffering and crisis into the early 1850s11. According Cusack and Sperber12, during the crisis and famine years, approximately over one million Irish died, from starvation or, more commonly, from starvation-related diseases. Succeeding the period of 1846, when the Irish people could begin immigration fleeing the crisis; more than 1.8 million people emigrated13. Additionally, more than half of people ran way (as refugees than as emigrants) during the crisis years of 1846-50. The Ireland population that was approximately 8.5 million by 1845 had dropped to 6.6 million by 1851. The fall would continue to for many decades due to the relentless emigration14. British Policy evolves and reliefs Donnelly and Waldman and Mason15 stated that, though it had a ridiculous history of agrarian violence, Ireland was at peace at the time of the crisis. According to Egan16, the country’s communication systems, of roads and canals, had enormously improved in the preceding half-century. The Victorian country had a sizable and growing bureaucracy, and Ireland lay at the entrance of what was, by then, the wealthiest nation in the world. It is perplexing as to why the country was unable to deal with the crisis17. According to The Economist18, the Pre-famine state of Ireland was molded by a range of factors. First was the Act of Union of 1800 that changed the Irish political face. Ireland had its parliament in Dublin before the Act of Union and was autonomous19. Egan20 also said that the union meant Ireland had to lose its parliament as it became part of the United Kingdom. Consequently, Ireland was governed by administrators and ministers who were both a distance away and often ignorant of the real situations. Additionally, Egan21 outlined that Ireland became engrossed into a free trade zone that made her inevitably disadvantaged in comparison to other United Kingdom states. This disadvantage became obvious when the 1815 British Corn-laws, intended to help British consumers and merchants, were outlaid. The laws unintentionally caused Irish more dependence on the potato. In reference to Coogan22, instead of claiming higher wages for their work of corn cultivation, Irish laborers “demanded more from the abundant potato”. Small farmers and laborers had to trade corn and other crops to pay rent23. According to Egan24, by 1845 autumn it was clear that the famine was impending in Ireland25. The British government’s reaction was, however, slaggy, slow and incompetent in responding to the degree of the crisis. Although the British government observed failures of the potato crops, England still imported enormous quantities of food, particularly potatoes from Ireland. The Irish export quantity that was more than enough to feed its population26. The response to the disaster by the British government can be related difference and resistance in political ideologies. In Britain by late 1840s, the prevalent ideologies among the middle classes and the political élite strongly influenced against sustained relief to Ireland27. In The Economist28, in 1845, when the blight first hit potato crops Sir Robert Peel was the British prime minister. In 1846, Pell shipped Indian corn to Ireland and arranged for its cheap sale in different parts of Ireland. The corn helped some families; though the poorest had no money for its purchase29. Moreover, the relief did not reach the remote areas where the crop failure was worst and that had bad roads; famine was greater. Peel also systemized a relief work where laborers were paid to work; a means of employment30. Peel’s government paid the poor to work in building roads, canals or piers31. The pay was however low while food prices were high. That did not permit the laborers to buy their food and for their families. Additionally, he set up relief committees in each zone in Ireland to collect money from the rich by collecting taxes32. According to Coogan33, when Lord John Russell took charge of the England government, he reduced the sale of cheap corn and instead encouraged employment. Public works increased again by October 1846. However, the poor Irish people were frequently too weak due lack of food. Also, wages were mostly not paid on time34. By 1847, the families become overwhelmed with hunger and starvation. Russell established soup kitchens to feed the hungry and starving Irish poor. The charity was from a group called the Quakers or Society of Friend. By 1847 late August, about three million people were being fed daily. However, by 1847 autumn, the government, again, shut down the soup-kitchens as Russell preempted good harvest and that the poor would be able to work from the workhouses35. In reference to Egan36, charities donated large sums of money; Calcutta is recognized with making the first relief donation of £14,000. The Calcutta money was raised by Irish soldiers serving in Calcutta and Irish individuals working with the East India Company. Additionally, Pope Pius IX sent money and Queen Victoria also donated £2,00037. In addition to the donations both the religious, non-religious organizations also came to the assistance of Irish famine victims38. First, the British Relief Association and other prominent aristocrats and bankers supported the victim. Association solicited money throughout England, Australia and America and in total raised approximately £390,000 for Irish famine relief39. Regulated Travel and Immigration In reference to Kelly40, between the years of 1845 and 1855, almost two million people had moved from Ireland to Australia and America, and more 750,000 to Britain. The lowly Law Extension Act that made landlords accountable for the upkeep of their poor tenants induced some landlords to empty their estates by paying for travel and emigration of the tenants. Thousands of Irish emigrants died onboard coffin ships’ in the Atlantic crossing41.In 1847 alone, there were 17,465 documented deaths. Small (1998)42 also said that thousand more people died in medical inspection facilities and additional thousands died at arrival centers. In the U.S, most Irish people became city-dwellers due to lack of money to move away from their landing cities. By 1850, the Irish population made up a quarter Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City population43. Sperber44 denotes that, due to immense immigration, it became necessary for the British government to control travel. One way of limiting Irish immigration was to make travel very expensive to reach America. First, Ports along the U.S. eastern seaboard obligated a bond from ship captains guaranteeing that their passengers would not become quarters of the city45. Additionally, in 1847 passenger fares to the U.S. rose three times higher than to Canada and Australia. The British government deliberately kept the U.S. fares high to encourage Irish Immigration to populate Canada and to discourage Irish from immigrating to England46. Other concerns for the British government at this time According to Small (1998)47, critics maintain that even after the British government recognized the scope of the famine, it failed to take sufficient steps to address the crisis (Coogan, 2012)48. The government might have forbidden Irish grain export or continued the soup-kitchen arrangement for much longer time (Ó Murchadha, 2011)49. Additionally, the government might have increased the wages it paid public works or less restricted the relief provision in work-houses. Moreover, it might have restrained the mass Irish evictions or treated the famine crisis as an imperial responsibility. The government failed on all these, and the famine was devastating50. In reference to Coogan51, seems the government of Britain was concerned with other factors apart from the famine. Britain had no other preoccupations but believed deliberately abandoned Ireland. Historians blame the neglect on the failed free market economics that Britain applied to Ireland’s problem52. They also describe, in aching detail, the hardship and indignity that the Ireland peasants suffered and the stigmatization from anti-Catholic prejudice. In addition, they also argue that the British believed that the poverty was self-inflicted and so the Irish needed to sort their mess53. Conclusion Waldman and Mason54 notes that the British government was ineffectual during the famine, they had no intent to kill approximately one million Irish55. Additionally, other factors, for instance, the landlord system supported the devastation undergone during the famine. The Pre-famine Ireland functioned on a system of landholding that politicians, and Irish Nationalists, supposed needed to be abandoned to reform the Irish economy56. The landed gentry leased out their property to certain landlords for longer periods. These middlemen divided and lent the smaller plots out to farmers. The small farmers, having no land for their children to inherit, further sub-divided already divided land. The landlord system also helped to cause the famine57. The reputation that the absentee landlords achieved in Britain also helped to sway an already doubtful British public that the crisis was due to Irish irresponsibility. Britain took less slow action and many Irish died due to the famine58. Bibliography Burke, H. (1987). The people and the poor law in 19th century Ireland. [Ireland], WEB. Littlehampton, England : Distributed by George Philip Services Coogan, T. P. (2012). The famine plot: Englands role in Irelands greatest tragedy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Cusack, C. T. (2012). Nally,Human Encumbrances: Political Violence and the Great Irish Famine Notre Dame, IN:University of Notre Dame Press ,2011 9780268036089. Donnelly, J. (2011, February 17). BBC - History - British History in depth: The Irish Famine. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/famine_01.shtml The Economist. (2012, December 12). The Irish famine: Opening old wounds | The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2012/12/irish-famine Egan, D. (2001). The Irish Famine/ British Policies. Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ebstork/famine.html Gkotzaridis, E. (2006). Trials of Irish history: Genesis and evolution of a reappraisal, 1938-2000. London: Routledge. Gray, P. (1999). Famine, land and politics: British Government and Irish society, 1843-50. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. Kelly, J. (2012). The graves are walking: The great famine and the saga of the Irish people. New York: Henry Holt and Co. Ó Murchadha, C. (2011). The great famine: Irelands agony 1845-1852. London, Continuum International Publishing Group. Small, S. (1998). An Irish century: 1845-1945, from the famine to the end of World War II. New York, Barnes & Noble Books. Sperber, J. (2005). The European revolutions, 1848-1851. Princeton, NJ: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Waldman, C., & Mason, C. (2006). Encyclopedia of European peoples. New York, Facts On File. Read More