Response to question A

The potato has had a remarkable affect on the Irish and the British. The Irish accepted the potato almost immediately. The British were not as eager to accept the potato. The Irish liked how the potato did not need to be tended to as often. They also appreciated the nutritional value of the plant. Michael Pollen states, “The Irish discovered that a few acres of marginal land could produce enough potatoes to feed a large family and its livestock. The Irish also found they could grow these potatoes with a bare minimum of labor and tool, in something called a ‘lazy bed,’” (Pollen, 200). This made the Irish happy and they did not discriminate the potato. Instead they embraced it, and mixed it with milk. They found the positives in eating potatoes, such as nutrition. Pollen then states, “In addition to energy in the form of carbohydrates, potatoes supplies considerable amounts of protein and vitamins B and C (the spud would eventually put an end to scurvy in Europe); all that was missing was vitamin A, and that a bit of milk could make up,” (Pollen, 200). This shows that the Irish were willing to use the potato; in fact it helped the poor find a balanced meal, and stopped some starvation. This increase in the use of potatoes, however, caused much labor, but reduced the economic value.
The British looked at the Irish and thought they were lowering themselves by accepting the potato. They found no value in the potato at first because it was not mentioned in the Bible, and they had bread to make up for the potato’s value. When they came to terms with the potato, however, they ended up helping famine as well. They tried to advertise the potato, in attempts to spread the use of it. A simple food, such as the potato, caused much controversy in England during the 16th century.