The Irish potato famine of the 1840s is often referred to by scholars as the most devastating and encompassing of its kind. Whilst agricultural problems played a large role in the extent of the famine, a significant percentage of the hardships suffered by the Irish people were caused by the administrative mismanagement of the British government. The policies in place regarding tenancy prior to the famine were the driving force behind the poverty of the …showed first 75 words of 1464 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1464 total…devastation of the blight. The mass death was extensive and caused by a number of factors, the most prolific of which being starvation and disease. In addition to estimated death of one in nine Irishmen during 1845-1850, nearly two million immigrated to America seeking respite from the famine. Whilst Ireland's agricultural climate unquestionably played a significant role in the disaster, the British administration of the time are ultimately accountable for the magnitude of its devastation.