S8 Ep975: Tyler Anbinder details the origins of the Great Potato Famine, noting that the destructive fungus actually originated in North America and thrived in Ireland's cool, damp climate. By 1846, 90% of the potato crop—the primary food source for half the popula

Tyler Anbinder details the origins of the Great Potato Famine, noting that the destructive fungus actually originated in North America and thrived in Ireland's cool, damp climate. By 1846, 90% of the potato crop—the primary food source for half the population—was destroyed. The hardest-hit regions were in the west, where poverty was most extreme. Landowners like Lord Lansdowne facilitated emigration primarily as a financial decision to avoid the taxes required to support indigent tenants. Consequently, the strongest survivors began an arduous journey, often walking to ports before taking cheap ships from Liverpool to New York. (2)1849