Quote:
Originally Posted by Botnst
It's pretty simple.
The Irish were free people and could choose that line of work, stay in Ireland, or go somewhere else. They freely accepted the wages and the risk.
The slaveowners did not believe the risk to their slaves was worth the profit of their labor.
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I was rather shocked to find out that Many of the Irish Land Owners had the choice of Feeding and Paying the Taxes on their Irish workers or sending them to the USA.
Many Land Owners opted to pay their way to the USA because it was cheaper.
I am not sure how much choice the Irish Workers had in that matter. It is like You can go to the USA or I will stop providing you with Food.
I that is what I listened to on PBS.
Added:"New taxes imposed on landlords for poor relief - the amount levied depending on the number of paupers resident in a parish - encouraged landlords to reduce their tax bill by reducing the number of poor peasants. Sometimes this could be achieved by 'forgiving' the rent, which would then be used to buy a passage, or by the landlord buying the tenant's home, land and crop at a price that would allow the family to emigrate."
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/exhibitions_talks_and_events/19th_century_emigration_to_the_north_america_online/helping_hands/the_irish_poor_law.htm
This site has a different story:
http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/History_Links/IrishFamineGenocide.html