Famine emptied Ireland and sent millions across the Atlantic. Their journey reshaped America for generations. The Great Irish Famine (1845–1852), or "Great Hunger," was triggered by a catastrophic potato blight that destroyed the country's primary food source. This led to the death of about 1 million people from starvation and disease. The disaster also ignited one of the largest migrations in modern history. In the Famine years alone, over a million Irish fled, mostly to the United States. This