One of the main reasons the Irish left Ireland was the Potato Famine also known as the Great Hunger. Daniels states that “approximately 4.5 million Irish have immigrated to the United States.” (p.127) Just like the Italians, the Irish not only emigrated to America, but also emigrated to other English-speaking countries, such as Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia. The Irish consisted mainly of poor farmers. As land became scarce and rents increased, they began selling their farmland and living mainly on potatoes. Potatoes were easy to produce and required little labor to grow and harvest. Potatoes became the main source of food for many poor Irish families, but they carried a disease called blight. In the 18th century, downy mildew broke out and destroyed the entire crop, leaving poor Irish families starving. This started the famine and began to cause problems for the already poor and hungry Irish. In the short film The Irish in America: Long Journey Home: The Great Hunger it is stated that “They were desperate. They collected edible seaweed, boiled it, and stripped the rocks and seashore of all living matter until there was nothing left and they were eventually reduced to eating grass. "(48:17-48:37) The British government did little to help the situation. Daniels explains: “Both British Prime Ministers honestly believed that the Irish should be more