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History A Level > 4C. Ulster & Belfast > Flashcards

4C. Ulster & Belfast Flashcards

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1
Q

Why was Ulster so prosperous?

A
  • Close links with Britain due to Protestant plantations
  • First part of Ireland to industrialise
  • Development into major industrial area - linen, wool, cotton, shipbuilding
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2
Q

How much of the Irish population worked in manufacturing by 1821?

A

40%

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3
Q

How much linen was produced in Ulster in 1715?

A

2 million yards

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4
Q

How much linen was produced in Ulster in the 1790s?

A

40 million yards

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5
Q

How much of Ireland’s exports to Britain in the 1790s were linen?

A

1/3

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6
Q

How important was the manufacturing of textiles?

A

The industry was so important that, from the 1770s, the Irish Parliament protected textile production through tariffs on foreign imports.

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7
Q

What were the effects of textile production on Ulster?

A
  • Ulster merchant class quickly developed (Protestant)
  • Trade routes with the UK established, Belfast-Liverpool being especially important.
  • Textiles were so important that they were carried by more expensive steam ships than less reliable sail.
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8
Q

Why was demand for Irish linen high?

A
  • Particular demand for linen in Britain as Irish linen was of best quality available
  • Particular demand for sail cloth during Napoleonic wars 1803-1815
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9
Q

By the 1820s, ___ million yards of linen a year were being produced in Belfast in __ mills, employing ____ people.

A

By the 1820s, 500 million yards of linen a year were being produced in Belfast in 15 mills, employing 2000 people.

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10
Q

Why did Belfast transition from producing cotton / wool to linen?

A
  • Removal of protective tariffs (10%) on imported cotton in 1824 as part of move to free trade
  • Shortage of capital investment, partially caused by 1825 Stock Market crash, which the cotton industry could not recover from.
  • Introduction of wet spinning, which made use of the River Lagan, made linen a more attractive investment (better profit margins)
  • Increase of competition from Britain due to greater mechanisation (Ulster relied on hand looms)

This decline led to high unemployment in Ulster

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11
Q

How much better were the profit margins for linen compared to cotton in the 1820s?

A

Cotton = 10p a pound
Linen = 4s a pound

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12
Q

How had the number of cotton mills in Ulster declined by 1850?

A

By 1850, of the 19 cotton spinning mills in operation in Ulster, only 4 remained

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13
Q

How did the population of Belfast increase between 1800-1851?

A

1800 = 20,000
1850 = 100,000

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14
Q

How had previous attempts been made in the 18th Century to develop transport of goods in Ulster?

A

A road and canal system had developed in Ulster by the 1730s but it was slow and cumbersome

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15
Q

When was the first railway line in Ulster opened? Where did it go?

A

1839, Belfast-Lisburn

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16
Q

How much railway line had been built in Ulster by 1900?

A

By 1900, over 1000 miles of line had been built, linking 90% of the Ulster population.

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17
Q

What were the effects of railway development in Ulster?

A
  • Links to cities such as Belfast opened up Ulster and “linen triangle”, giving vital lifeline to cottage industries
  • Continuous supply of goods boosted stability of industry and confidence of purchasers
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18
Q

When was the first wet spinning mill established?

A

1828

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19
Q

How did the number of flax spinning mills increase between 1834 and the end of the 1830s?

A

1834 = 15 flax spinning mills
End of 1830s = 35 mills

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20
Q

Which was believed to be the largest spinning company in the world in the 1830s?
How many people did they employ?

A

Mullholland
5,000 people

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21
Q

What were the effects of shipbuilding on Ulster?

A
  • Industrial diversification helped guarantee overall security of economy
  • Greater job security - shipbuilding was skilled work
  • Encouraged movement of people to Ulster - created a large pool of workers
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22
Q

How did the number of shipyards in Belfast increase?

A

First shipyard established relatively late - William Ritchie’s yard established 1791

By 1820s, 3 yards were established: Ritchie and MacLaine, Charles Connell and Sons, and Thompson and Kirwan

This was joined later in the 19th Century by Harland and Wolff (Titanic) and Workman Clark and Company

23
Q

Which factors contributed to Belfast’s success as a shipbuilding centre after 1850?

A
  • Relocation of orders from overworked yards such as Liverpool to Belfast brought additional business
  • Need to master new techniques such as iron working
24
Q

How did Belfast transition from wood to iron ships?

A

Although Ritchie and MacLaine built the first steamship in Belfast (Chieftain) in 1826, it was constructed out of wood

  • The construction of iron ships was the future, and needed engineering skills

Coates and Company built a successful iron lake steamer in 1838 (Countess of Caledon)

  • The transition of wooden to iron ships powered by steam in 1850 was essential in increasing Belfast’s fortunes
25
Q

How did Belfast’s growth lead to development of its port?

A

Rapid growth of Belfast led to expansion of its docks so that a larger volume of shipping could be accommodated

1815 = 91,000 tonnes
1835 = 291,000 tonnes

Soon, Belfast was an internationally recognised port
By 1950, Belfast had eclipsed Cork as Ireland’s largest shipbuilder

26
Q

How did Charles Connell and Sons develop as a shipyard?

A

Connell and Sons became the dominant yard in Belfast.

Connell began in Scotland and then took over William Ritchie’s yard in Belfast in 1920

(the yard Ritchie and MacLaine was due to a partnership with William’s brother, John Ritchie)

27
Q

Which ships did Charles Connell and Sons build?

A
  • 1832 = Connell built the 310-tonne Fanny

This traded in the far east and attracted positive publicity as the first ship to bring tea direct from China to Belfast

  • In 1838 = Aurora, the largest vessel to be built in Belfast at the time
  • In 1841, its ship, the James Duncan made the quickest passage to Constantinople. In 1842, it made the quickest passage to Leghorn, Italy.
28
Q

How did Connell and Sons impact Belfast?

A
  • Connell’s shipbuilding helped both develop Belfast’s reputation as a shipbuilder as well as manufacturing in general
  • These ships allowed manufacturers to reach overseas markets such as Turkey and Italy
  • Ulster was established as the industrial heartland of Ireland
29
Q

How did the Thompson and Kirwan Yard in Belfast develop?

A
  • Their yard was founded in 1851 on the Queen’s Island in the mouth of the Lagan
  • They focused on wooden ships
  • Robert Hickson, an engineer who wished to build larger iron ships, took over the yard in 1853 when it was in decline (renaming the firm to Hickson and Company), setting the precedent for Belfast’s shipbuilding.
30
Q

What were the effects of the development of shipyards such as Connell and Sons on Belfast?

A
  • Advanced shipbuilding in Belfast and aided economic development of Ulster
  • Shipbuilding, especially the introduction of steam and iron, led to birth of associated industries such as rope making and machine engineering
31
Q

How did Belfast’s development as a port expand its trading opportunities?

A

In the 1840s, the USA overtook Britain as the biggest importer of Irish cloth
The combined value of Belfast’s exports in 1851 = £2.6m

32
Q

How was early shipbuilding in Belfast limited?

A

Early shipbuilding in Belfast was limited by River Lagan’s shallow water, bends and channels

  • Big ships had to wait for favourable tides to get in and out of Belfast
  • This could slow up trade and create frustration
  • By 1830s, these problems were becoming acute (severe)
33
Q

Which body was established in 1785 to take responsibility for the facilities in Belfast’s harbour?

A

In 1785, the Irish Parliament established the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port and Harbour of Belfast, more commonly known as the ‘Ballast Board’.

34
Q

Who was commissioned in 1830 by the Ballast Board to deal with the issues of the river, and what solutions did they present?

A

The engineering firm Walker and Burgess was commissioned to find a solution to the access problems of the Lagan

Two solutions were presented, with a total projected cost of ~£400,000 (together). They involved:

  • Two straight cuts would be made at the bends of the river to create a single straight channel
  • The river would be dredged to a depth of at least 12 feet
35
Q

How were the solutions proposed by Walker and Burgess to access issues of the River Lagan received?

A

The solutions were well-recieved by the Board, however several local interests opposed the idea, seeking an opportunity to extract advantageous concessions.

  • Lord Donegall in particular was keen to only support the idea if MPs for Down, Antrim and the towns of Carrickfergus and Belfast were given seats on the Ballast Board
36
Q

How was compromise reached over the solutions proposed by Walker and Burgess?

A

August 1831 - an Act was passed allowing the MPs for Down, Antrim and the towns of Carrickfergus and Belfast to sit on the Board, and for 16 further members to sit on a four-year rotational basis.

37
Q

How did work begin on improving access on the River Lagan in the 1830s?

A

In 1831, an Act allowed the Ballast Board to apply for £60,000 from the Board of Public Works to buy the approximately 900 acres at the mouth of the river needed for the project.

A further Act was passed in 1837 allowing improvements to begin. A new 18-member board (still called the Ballast Board) was constituted to oversee the improvements

38
Q

How did work on the 1840s improvements to the River Lagan progress?

A

The first cut to the river was made in 1840, taking a year to complete and costing £42,000.

All the material dug out / dredged from the river was dumped on the County Down side of the river, creating an area approximately 59 acres in size. A channel was then cut at the front of this spoil, creating an island in the river.

This Island originally named Dargan’s island after the civil engineer, but later renamed to Queen’s Island after a visit from Queen Victoria in 1845.

The second cut was made from 1846 - July 1849

39
Q

What was Queen’s Island used for?

A

The island was used both for a public park as well as for shipbuilding, housing the firms Thompson and Kirwan from 1851-3, Hickson and Company in 1853-8 and finally Harland and Wolff from 1861.

40
Q

The Belfast Harbour Act 1847 replaced the Ballast Board with the new Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

What did they allow?

A
  • This body worked closely with shipbuilders of the town to improve the harbour in a manner which best served the industry.
  • More land was purchased for the creation fo more quays and sheds to facilitate expansion
  • Allowed ironworks owners Gladstone and Pace to open an iron shipyard on Queen’s Island - bought out by Robert Hickson in 1853

Allowing iron shipyard on Queen’s island provided opportunity to modernise shipping in Belfast and set the foundation for the industry’s success.

41
Q

Why is Andrew Mulholland significant in promoting industrialisation in Ulster?

A

Andrew Mulholland developed the first steam-powered wet flax-spinning mill in Ireland, employing 800 people.

This developed into the world’s largest linen company, employing over 5,000 workers and consisting of 29 of Ulster’s 62 linen mills.

He worked as a catalyst for developing Ulster’s linen industry, allowing the transition from cotton to linen in Ireland as well as its industrialisation to make it more commercially competitive

42
Q

Why is Robert Hickson significant in promoting industrialisation in Ulster?

A

Robert Hickson developed the first iron shipbuilding firm on Queen’s Island, and brought Edward Harland to Belfast as a yard manager in 1854, precipitating the evolution of the shipyard into Ulster’s most successful firm, Harland and Wolff, after 1861.

43
Q

What were the positives of industrialisation for Ulster?

A
  • Helped Ulster to become Ireland’s most prosperous region after 1825
  • Population of Ulster rose from 2 million in 1821 to 2.4 million in 1841, and urban centres expanded rapidly
  • Belfast grew from 37,000 in 1821 to 98,000 by 1851
  • Industrial output from Ulster increased dramatically.
44
Q

What were the negatives of industrialisation for Ulster in terms of living conditions?

A
  • Quality of life in Belfast declined - shortage of homes led to densely packed areas of the city, encouraged by the building of cheap terraced housing (back-to-backs)
  • Many homes shared facilities in a small area, leading to increased risk of cholera such as in 1832 and 1848
45
Q

What were the negatives of industrialisation for Ulster in terms of working conditions?

A

Poor working conditions due to competition for work

  • 11-12 hours Mon-Fri, 6 hours Saturday
  • Work in noisy, poorly ventilated sheds, flax dust (‘pouce’) caused respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis
  • Factory Act 1847 - dangerous machinery cordoned off, no safety precautions before this
  • Average working life 16 years
46
Q

How did wages decline in Belfast as a negative of industrialisation?

A

Wages halved as mechanisation reduced demand for individual skills such as in the cotton industry, and competition for work allowed wage cuts to maximise profits.

  • Shipyard wages declined from £2 a week in 1820s → £1 per week by 1836
  • Cotton workers 24s in 1820s → 6-8s in the same period
47
Q

Why was Belfast so susceptible to cholera?

A
  • Rapid development of urban centres and expansion of the city’s population, leading to overcrowding
  • Slow development of adequate facilities to support increasing population leading to mass sharing of facilities in small areas
  • Cramped housing and poorly designed sewerage systems allowed water supplies to become easily polluted, especially around densely populated docks where a large volume of people received water supplies.
  • River Lagan treated as an open sewer and thus readily polluted with raw sewage.
48
Q

What were the effects of cholera in Belfast?

A

1832 Outbreak - 400 killed in Belfast, 25,000 across Ireland

Board of Health established with rigorous fumigation policy

1848 outbreak - 35,000 across the country killed

1,163 killed in Belfast and 3,583 cases

Workhouse installed 100 beds for the sick - 2nd hospital

Sanitation improved in Belfast afterwards

49
Q

What were the impacts of the Penal Laws in Belfast?

A

Power, status and wealth primarily concentrated in hands of Protestants:

This forwarded serious economic inequality along religious divides:

  • Whereas Catholics were primarily the less-skilled workforce of businesses in Belfast, their owners were almost entirely Protestant.

Majority of skilled workers were also often Protestant as they either:

  • Came from British shipyards where wages were not as favourable, e.g. Tyne, Mersey and Clyde
  • Were favoured by the apprentice process in Ireland and had the money to finance their training
50
Q

Which statistics demonstrate the disparity between Protestants and Catholics in Ulster?

A

In 1820, the rate of Protest to Catholic capital trade in Belfast trade and industry was 40:1

Belfast Chamber of Commerce had 260 members in 1893, only 8 of whom were Catholic

51
Q

Who established the Belfast Protestant Operative Association?

A

Protestant preacher Tresham Gregg established the Belfast Protestant Operative Association in 1843.

52
Q

How did Tresham stir anti-Catholic sentiment in Belfast?

A

Tresham also gave virulently anti-Catholic speeches through the BPOA to stir up anti-Catholic sentiment in the local population in defense of Protestantism.

This led to riots such as in July 1843 when the group interrupted a repeal meeting in the city

53
Q

What were the aims of the Belfast Protestant Operative Association?

A

The body was intended to protect Protestant workers and their jobs from the growing Catholic population in Belfast.

It also functioned to help elect Conservative politicians who would maintain Ireland’s union with Britain, central to Protestant interests.

54
Q

Why did the Catholic population of Belfast swell in the mid-19th century?

A

Catholics from rural Ulster moved to Belfast in search of work due to:

  • Growing linen trade absorbed unskilled labour, particularly with adoption of mechanisation after 1825
  • Catholics were more likely to be unskilled labourers / have suitable experience from hand spinning
  • Decline of cotton industry

History A Level (28 decks)

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