The political situation in eighteenth century Ireland
It was Jonathan Swift who protested loudest at what he saw as England's deliberate attempts to ruin Ireland and its people. He fiercely disapproved of what he thought was greed by the English government while, at the same time, being highly critical of Ireland's inability to fight the English.
Between 1717 and 1775, many Irish people emigrated to America. The combination of famine and high rents were just a few of the factors that convinced large numbers of Irish people to risk the hazardous sea crossing to America.
