Question

Why was the period of the 1840s called the Hungry Forties? A) A surge in famine and food shortages. B) Economic recession and widespread unemployment. C) An increase in agricultural productivity. D) Excessive taxation on food items. E) A decline in population leading to scarcity.

Answer 1

Answer: B I think

Explanation: In Ireland, a million people starved to death during the potato famine, and England experienced an economic depression that lent the era the name “the Hungry Forties.” At the time, the so-called Corn Laws, which prohibited the import or export of grain, became increasingly unpopular.