Black '47: Britain and the Famine Irish

Black '47: Britain and the Famine Irish examines the impact of Irish immigration to Britain during the peak year of the Great Famine. The book focuses specifically on 1847, when massive numbers of Irish refugees arrived in British cities seeking survival and employment. Neal draws on extensive historical records to document the response of British authorities, institutions, and communities to this unprecedented influx of desperate immigrants. The analysis covers poor laws, public health measures, crime rates, and the general social dynamics between the existing population and the new arrivals. Multiple British cities and regions are examined in detail, including Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow, revealing how different areas handled the challenges of mass migration. The book incorporates primary sources such as newspaper accounts, official correspondence, and statistical data to build a comprehensive picture of this critical period. This work raises enduring questions about how societies respond to humanitarian crises and large-scale population movements across borders. The historical events covered continue to resonate with modern immigration debates and policy challenges.

Readers note Neal's thorough research and documentation of how British cities responded to Irish refugees during the famine years. Many point to his balanced analysis of local government responses and the statistical evidence he presents about mortality rates and demographics. Readers liked: - Details on conditions in specific British cities - Analysis of newspaper coverage and public opinion - Focus on local rather than national response - Inclusion of primary source documents Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Limited coverage of events in Ireland - Some readers found the statistics overwhelming - Wish for more personal accounts/stories Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (12 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.5/5 (6 reviews) A common review theme is the book's usefulness for academic research but challenging readability for general audiences. Multiple readers note it works better as a reference text than a cover-to-cover read.

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🌟 Despite the widespread Irish migration to Britain during the Famine, approximately 80% of those who fled Ireland during this period actually went to North America rather than Britain. 🌟 Author Frank Neal was a pioneering historian at the University of Salford who helped establish the field of Irish migration studies in British academia during the 1970s and 1980s. 🌟 The year "Black '47" (1847) earned its name not only due to the peak of the Famine but also because of a typhus epidemic that devastated Irish immigrants in British cities, particularly Liverpool and Manchester. 🌟 The book reveals that some British towns established "moving on" funds specifically to pay for Irish immigrants to travel elsewhere, essentially paying them to leave their communities. 🌟 Liverpool, a key focus of the book, received over 300,000 Irish immigrants during 1847 alone, temporarily increasing its population by more than 50%.