And the irish reliance on potato was directly caused by the english Penal Laws under which until the late 18th century catholics were forbidden many thing[0], including getting an education, purchasing land, long land leases (more than 31 years), primogeniture (catholic land had to be equally divided between all sons unless the eldest converted to protestantism, which would quickly lead to fragmentation and plots too small to feed their owner… which could then only be bought by protestant absentee landlords since other catholics were barred from buying them, you can see its success in irish catholic holdings falling from 25% of Ireland in 1688 to 5% in 1776).
The Penal Laws were indeed
> a machine of wise and elaborate contrivance, as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment and degradation of a people, and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man.
The Penal Laws were indeed
> a machine of wise and elaborate contrivance, as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment and degradation of a people, and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man.
[0] you can hear the evil cackling in the background as you go down the list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_Laws_(Ireland)#Ascendanc...