The Great Famine in Western EuropeBy Brock Ferris

1315 was a wet spring, they couldn’t plant much crops

1316 was just as bad 1317 was wet again Many people were to

weak to do any field work by this time

Before this, population was increasing in Europe at a steady pace

During these 3 wet years there wasn’t enough food produced

Many people died even nobles and clergy.

Population didn’t increase during this famine

This is a picture of the part of the great famine in Europe in 1317. It is believed that one third of the population in Europe and Asia was lost in the 14th century.

From 1845 on the potato crop failed. This potato failure is also called blight.

The population fell by 2 million from 1845-1850.

Even with the potato failure there was still plenty of food but the English took it all.

The Irish could only cultivate on the mt. tops because the blight was so bad in the lower lands.

The English ruled over Ireland at this time, starving them and taking all their money.

According to the readings all famines start from food related problems.

There magnified by natural disasters and in some cases ruling countries that don’t care about their people.

Some sort of famine seems to happen at least once every century.

Seems like people just accept it because they know it’s going to happen sooner or later.

The Great Famine (1315-1317)Lynn Harry Nelson, Emeritus Prof. of Medieval History, University of Kansas

Scholary Articles

Famine, Disease, and the Social Order in Early Modien SocietyJohn Walter and Roger Schafield.

Black ‘47 and BeyondCormac O’Grade, Prof. of Economics at University College, DublinApril 2008