6. The Plight of Patty’s Potatoes

What was the Irish Potato Blight? Originating in South America, Spanish conquistadors brought the potato to Europe in the 1500s. Before the end of the century, Sir Walter Raleigh had introduced the potato to Ireland. By the 1700s, the country relied heavily on the crop as a food staple.1 Ireland’s cool, damp, and cloudy climate […]

4. Smallpox Significance

Smallpox Through History It is unknown just how long smallpox has taken its toll on the human population throughout history. Egyptian mummies from 1570 to 1085 A.D. have been found with the tell-tale sign of the disease, pouch-like pock marks on the skin- among these mummies was the ruler Pharaoh Ramsey the Fifth.1,2,3 Smallpox is thought […]