In the mid-nineteenth century, Ireland suffered from the “Great Starvation.” From 1845 to 1850, a fungus ravaged the potato crops of Ireland, destroying the primary food source of Irish peasants. Though many have called this tragic event the “Great Potato Famine,” the mass starvation of the Irish people was caused more by the lack of assistance from the British government than by the famine itself. It is estimated that over one million people died during these catastrophic times, and approximately twice that number left their homeland in an effort to find food and solace.