Ep. 52 The Great Hunger: Why the Irish Potato Famine Was a Completely Unnatural Disaster

In this episode, I discuss the centuries long toxic relationship between Ireland and England that led up to the devastation of the potato famine in 1845. During the 7 year period of "The Great Hunger," one million Irish people died and two million left Ireland. But while the blight that caused the potatoes to rot may be considered a natural disaster, there was nothing natural about the circumstances leading up to the famine and the choices made during it. Sources: Trinity College Du...