Government Relief and Private Charity during the Great Hunger

The tragedy of the Great Hunger occurred at the heart of the vast, and resource-rich, British Empire. The imperial government, however, chose not to use its resources to come to the aid of the Irish poor. The degree to which the British government was responsible for this disaster is still debated among historians.

The Irish American Heritage Museum will host “Government Relief and Private Charity during the Great Hunger,” a lecture with Karen Sonnelitter, PhD set for Wednesday, September 21st.

This talk will examine the extent to which people mobilized to provide money, food and clothing to assist the starving Irish. Reports of the disaster prompted fund-raising on an unprecedented scale, which cut across religious, ethnic, social and gender distinctions, with donations coming from as far away as Australia, China, India and South America. The ideological context in which both charity and poor relief existed will also be briefly examined.

Karen Sonnelitter PhD, is Associate Professor of History at Siena College, Loudonville, New York. She completed her doctorate at Purdue University. This talk is the second in the Museum’s new Great Hunger series to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Black ’47.

This lecture will begin at 7 pm, and be held at the Irish American Heritage Museum and will be streaming live on Youtube. For more information visit the Irish American Heritage Museum website.