BRITISH REACTION : FROM RESISTANCE TO ACCEPTANCE Flashcards
What % of the population in Ireland was Catholic?
80%
When was the American War of Independence?
1776
When were the British defeated in America?
1783
Poynings Law
Declared all of the Irish parliament’s legislation to require the approval of the British parliament.
When did the French Revolution begin?
1789
Catholic Committee
An organisation of Catholic gentry.
When did the Catholic Committee send the delegation about the Penal Laws to London?
1793
Catholic Relief Act 1793
Removing the majority of barriers to Catholics except the right to hold public office.
What was the motivation behind the Catholic Relief Act of 1793?
- The impending war with the new French Republic and wish to call Irish troops to support them.
- Avoid making Irish Catholics a potential ally for France.
What was British policy towards Ireland dictated by during the Catholic Relief Act?
External circumstances rather than popular sympathy.
When was The Act of Union?
1801
What did the Act of Union do?
- Removed Irish parliament
- British took control of all Irish affairs.
- Irish allowed 100 seats in the legislative body.
Treaty of Amiens 1802
Temporarily ended hostilities between France and Great Britain during the French Revolutionary Wars.
Oath of Supremacy
Precluded Catholics holding public office
What did William Pitt try to amend?
The Oath of Supremacy
When did Pitt resign from office?
Feb 1801
What did the British intend with the Act of Union?
- Enjoy same privileges as British.
- Protestant minority in Ireland strengthened as part of Protestant majority.
London Gordon Riots 1780
Violent anti-Catholic protests following the proposal to reduce Catholic discrimination laws and forging a formal union with Ireland.
The Maynooth Grant 1845
- Proposed to increase government spending on a Catholic seminary (training college for priests).
- Royal College of St Patrick.
- Initially £8,000.
- Increased in 1845, £26,000 together with a £30,000 sum.
When was the Maynooth Grant made?
1845
What did Robert Peel hope with the Maynooth Grant of 1845?
- A goodwill gesture to Ireland.
- Detach moderate Catholics from the repeal movement itself.
Who opposed the Maynooth Grant of 1845?
Conservative MP’s, John Plumptre most vocal.
How much votes did the Maynooth Grant secure in parliament?
326 votes to 176.
Where did majority of Irelands income come from?
Farming
What occupation did a significant of the country’s population hold?
Tenant farmers or labourers on other people’s farms.
Tenant Farmers
A person who rents the land that they farm.
When did protests about opposition to costs of rents take place?
1879
Land War 1879-1882
- Co-ordinated by Land League.
- Catholic discontent.
When was the Land War?
1879-1882
What was a consequence of the Land War?
In the 1880 Election the IPP won 63 out of 100 seats.
What was William Gladstone’s solution to the Land issue?
An act of conciliation like Peel.
The Irish Coercion Act 1881
Allowed authorities in Ireland to arrest and detain, without the need for evidence or a trial, anyone who they felt was committing an offence.
What can the Irish Coercion Act of 1881 be seen as?
A last resort rather than a first response, a shift which marked a more sympathetic attitude from Britain towards problems in Ireland.
When was Gladstone first administered?
1868
Clerkenwell Prison Bombing, December 1867
- To support Fenian rising Burke employed in November to acquire weapons from Birmingham.
- Arrested and imprisoned whilst doing so.
- His Fenian colleagues by blowing up prison door with gunpowder in a wheelbarrow.
- 12 killed, 120 injured.
When was the Clerkenwell Prison Bombing?
December 1867
What were William Gladstone’s reasons to support the measure?
- Own sense of morality.
- Political motivation to support home rule.
When was the first attempt of Home Rule?
1886
What was the first HR offering?
- Recognise Ireland’s claim to nationhood.
- Renounce Britains right to legislate.
- Exception of defence, trade, coinage and foreign treaties.
- Daily business still conducted by Lord Lieutenant.
How many votes was the first Home Rule bill defeated by?
30
When was the attempt for the second Home Rule bill?
1893
How many votes was the 2nd HR bill defeated by in the House of Lords?
419 votes
Why was the 3rd Home Rule bill easier to achieve?
Liberals needed the support of John Redmond and the IPP.
When was the 3rd HR bill proposed in the Commons?
11 April 1912
Who did the 3rd HR bill exclude?
Northern opponents
Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922
- Ireland would legislate for itself, but as a nation within the British Empire.
- Ireland would have fiscal autonomy.
- The country would still share the British monarch and swear oath of allegiance.
- Northern Ireland could choose to secede and return to Britain if it wanted to.
When did the Irish Free State Constitution Act pass?
5 December 1922
When did Northern Ireland decide to stay with Britain?
7 December 1922
What was William Pitt’s intention in Ireland?
Prevent further losses to the empire, his Catholic reforms were as a damage limitation and attempting to reinforce a position.
What happened during the French Revolution?
- Death of Louis XVI
- Installation of a republic similar to America.
What was Pitt’s intended reform he wanted to introduce initially after the United Irishmen in 1798?
Wanted to make the pair a free trade area
How much of the population did the Protestants make up?
1/8th
The Irish Church Act 1869
Disestablished the Church and gave it the same standing as the Catholic Church.
Who opposed the Irish Church Act of 1869?
- Conservative party
- The Queen
Absentee Landlordism
Landlords rent out land and make a profit from it in an area in which they do not live.
How many tenant farmers were there in 1870?
500,000
The Land Act 1870
- Granted legal rights to tenants.
- Compensation in the event of wrongful eviction.
- Rents can’t be excessive to avoid rack-renting.
Rack-renting
Charging excessive rents for the sole purpose of maximising profit.
Universities Bill 1873
Abolish all the colleges and unite them within an expanded Dublin University, which would then become a secular institution.
What was higher education in Ireland facilitated by?
Dublin University and it’s single college Trinity College
How many votes did the Universities Bill of 1873 fail by?
3
Why did Herbert Asquith pursue Home Rule?
Out of political necessity rather than any moral principle
Parliament Act 1911
Limited the powers of the House of Lords
Buckingham Palace Conference 1914
- George V and Asquith arranged a conference between the British Government, Unionists and Irish Nationalists,
- Lasted 3 days
- Achieved nothing
- IP unprepared to compromise
Why could Asquith not effectively deal with the situation?
Dependant on the Irish Party and operating from a position of weakness in regard to the Unionists.
When was the new coalition between Liberal and Conservative formed?
December 1916
Under Asquith, what differences was David Lloyd George asked to resolve?
Between the Unionists and the Irish Party following the Easter Rising
The Government of Ireland Act
- Creation of a six-country Northern Ireland which would have its own government, including a separate parliament.
- Creation of a 26-county Southern Ireland which would have a separate government and its own parliament
What was the decision to partition based upon?
That it would be a temporary measure and it would be reunited when political and religious tensions relax.
What did Dail Eireann want?
An Irish Republic
How many policemen killed in 1919?
18
Restoration of Order in Ireland Act 1920
Replaced trial by jury with court-martial
What reputation did the Black and Tans have and why?
Bad because of their violent and indiscriminate attacks
What were some of the Black and Tans attacks?
Bloody Sunday and the burning of Cork city centre
What were the final terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921?
- Dominion status
- British monarch would be head of state
- Oath of loyalty required
- Boundary commission for Northern Ireland
Why was the Anglo-Irish treaty a victory for Britain?
Able to retain Ireland within the Empire and with the King as head of state
