In the fall of 1845, a mysterious blight ravaged Ireland's potato harvest, beginning a prolonged period of starvation, suffering, and emigration that reduced the Irish population by as much as twenty-five percent in a mere six years. The Famine profoundly impacted Ireland's social and political history and altered its relationship with the United Kingdom. This document collection presents a broad selection of historical perspectives - a guide to greater understanding of the causes, the course, and the impact of the Famine. Letters, speeches, newspaper articles, and other works are collected within, carefully described and annotated for the reader. A substantial introduction, a chronology of events, and a useful glossary are also included to aid in interpretation of the primary texts.

About the Author

Karen Sonnelitter is Assistant Professor of History at Siena College and author of Charity Movements in Eighteenth-Century Ireland.

Reviews

"Karen Sonnelitter has compiled a remarkable collection of documents relating to Ireland's darkest hour. In doing so, she has given voice to the many who shaped, endured, and lived through this awful catastrophe. This is a fantastic teaching tool and essential reading for all those interested in the history of the Great Irish Famine. The publishers are also to be commended for providing this valuable guide to the study of the Famine." - Ciaran Reilly, Maynooth University

"This collection of key documents (ranging from Jonathan Swift writing in 1729 to Maud Gonne in 1900) helps to place the Great Famine in its longer historical context. The documents provide us with accounts by people from a range of backgrounds and political sympathies who witnessed Ireland's perennial poverty and intermittent famines first hand. Karen Sonnelitter has done a deft job in selecting and annotating the documents in this collection. They not only make the Great Famine accessible from the perspective of those who lived through it but also provide valuable insight into life in Ireland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries." - Christine Kinealy, Professor of History and Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute, Quinnipiac University

Book Information
ISBN 9781554813773
Author Karen Sonnelitter
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Broadview Press Ltd
Publisher Broadview Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 350g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 178mm * 11mm