26. Setting the Stage for Disaster
The potato became an appealing crop to subsistence level farmers because it was hardy, nutritious, calorie-rich, and easy to grow on Irish soil. It became a staple crop, and by the 1840s, about half the Irish population, and especially the poor farmers, had come to rely almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet. That reliance on a single crop set the stage for disaster.
Ireland was vulnerable to catastrophe if the potato crop failed, which it did in 1845 when a blight caused much of that year’s crop to rot in the field. It was followed by even worse blights in subsequent years, and famine ensued. The Potato Famine was not caused by Britain, but British policies and reactions ensured that it became far more deadly than it otherwise would have been.