The Potato Famine in Ireland began in the year 1845. When the potatoes were harvested a few days later, they began to turn into a slimy, rotting, blackish ball of rot. The reason this happened is due to the organism Phytophthora Infestans. 750,000 people died. Between 1846 and 1850, the Irish population decreased by 2 million, which represented 25% of the total population (The Great Famine of 1845, 2013). It cut the population nearly in half. Pre-Columbian farmers discovered the potato approximately 7,000 years ago in the Andes (Potato History, 2014). They were the first to harvest the potato. The leaves of a potato are actually poisonous. If you leave one in the light too long, it will start to turn green. The reason it turned green was because there was a substance in the green skin called solanine, which can make the potato taste unpleasant and can cause illness in people. It was only at the end of the 1500s when the first potato arrived in Europe. The reason the potato arrived in Europe was because the conquistadors trudged through Peru and came into contact with the potato for the first time. A Conquistador was a soldier, explorer, and adventurer originally from Portugal and the Spanish Empire. The Spanish did not immediately use the potato much. This food was considered for the lower classes. The potato took decades to make its way across Europe. Amateur farmers usually collected it out of curiosity. Many people in Ireland at the time were not wealthy, so the potato was their main diet. The potato was vulnerable to disease. At that time, there was no cure at this time. Even if one had been available, the Irish people would not have been able to afford it. The famine brought many diseases to Ireland. That's......half of the paper......ngsite.co.uk/ireland_great_famine_of_1845.htmPotato History. (2014). Retrieved January 13, 2014, from www.inapprofondimentoinfo.com: http://www.inapprofondimentoinfo.com/potato/history.shtmlEffects of the Famine 1: Agriculture. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2014, from www.wesleyjohnston.com: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/famine/agriculture_post.htmlHow to Grow Potatoes. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2014, from www.diynetwork.com: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-grow-potatoes/index.htmlMintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2014, 13 January). The Irish Potato Famine. Retrieved January 13, 2014, from www.digitalhistory.com: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/irish_potato_famine.cfmStork, E. (n.d.). British policies during the Great Famine. Retrieved January 13, 2014, from www.mtholyoke.edu: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ebstork/famine.html#anchor2748030