Focus: The Great Irish Potato Famine

This Focus portfolio chronicles the causes and catastrophic effects of the Great Irish Potato Famine of 1845-50, which resulted in millions of Irish deaths and forced millions more to emigrate to England, the United States, and Canada. Primary source documents include a first-hand report of pre-famine living conditions; a letter pleading for aid; British, Irish, and American newspaper accounts of the unfolding tragedy; and gripping contemporary illustrations. An illustrated Broadsheet Essay provides essential background to facilitate document analysis and understanding. Support Materials: * Illustrated Broadsheet Essay * Timeline * Critical Thinking Questions * Recommended Reading List 7 Primary Source Documents: * Excerpt from Letters On The Condition Of The People Of Ireland, 1846 * Letter from Benj Morris Wall, Mayor of Waterford on behalf of the Poor Law Guardians, November 12, 1845 * Selections from The Nation, 1847 * Views from Punch, a London humor magazine, 1846-1847 * Graphic views of Ireland's misery, Illustrations from The Illustrated London News, 1849-1850 * A view from the United States Articles from the Palladium, a Whig paper in New Haven, Connecticut, 1847 * Photo album: scenes of emigration and immigration