The Great Irish Famine and the revolutions of 1848

Here is that story!
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Map 82

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In 1845 a great famine broke out in Ireland. The overpopulated country sees its main resource, the potato, affected by a disease. The victims are Irish Catholics persecuted by the English since the 16th century. The English will let the Irish starve without doing anything.

Brazil then intervenes and distributes food at its own expense. The English, who saw it as an intrusion, blocked this aid in 1846. The Brazilians then accused the English of wanting to exterminate the Irish – their Celtic brothers – and threatened. They were finally forced to send their own aid in 1847, which limited the fall in the population. It is a humiliation for the United Kingdom.

However, nearly a million Irish emigrated to Brazil between 1845 and 1850. These were sent to Texas (400,000), southern Patagonia (200,000, too cold for the Brazilians) and Southern Africa. (300,000). These Irish will be raised to hate the English and Protestants and will form particularly loyal and ferocious troops and militias.


In February 1848 a revolution broke out in France and overthrew King Louis Philippe. This king was not very appreciated by Brazil, which never forgave him for the revolution of 1830.

The revolution spread throughout Europe and even reached Brazilian industrial cities, particularly in Argentina. In Spain too, liberals and workers are waking up. In Belgium the king, linked to that of France, is overthrown and Belgium joins the new French republic.

Elsewhere the regimes in place respond quickly and effectively, the movements are broken within a few months. In Brazil, if the ringleaders are all executed, progressive reforms will gradually be put in place satisfying certain social but not political demands. However, the regime felt for the first time a part of its population, that of the cities, rising up against it.