Ireland 1851-1886 and 1886-1914 Flashcards
what did the 1800 Act of Union declare
Ireland to be united with Britain too form the United Kingdom
How was Ireland different from the rest of UK
- Ireland hadn’t experienced industrial revolution = majority of pop lived in rural areas. Potato famine 1845-49 ensured huge pop decline and unrest within peasant pop
- religious controversy
- Irish separatism fulled by Fenian Brotherhood
potato famine 1845-49
- rural areas reliant on subsistence farming
- famine killed 1M and forced 1M to emigrate to Britain, USA and Canada
- mass emigration saw decline from 1841 8.2M to 5M by 1901
- unrest between peasant population and landowning classes = Irish renting off English landowners
what are the religious statistics within Ireland
80% roman catholic
10% non-conformists
10% anglican
why are the religious statistics in Ireland controversial
- the established church in Ireland was anglican
- this caused resentment amongst catholics who opposed the tithe
- this issue has been partly solved in 1836 but still prominent issue 1868
1858 Fenian Brotherhood
- established in USA
- US wing
- a militant nationalist group
- aim was to create an independent Irish republic by violent means
- 1865-68 - series of ‘Fenian outrages’ occurred
- 1867 - failed uprising in Manchester
what was the Irish wing of the Fenians called?
the Irish republican brotherhood IRB
why was there a greater reliance on ‘working the land’ in Ireland
- linen industry hadn’t been able to compete with more-advanced English industry
- disappearance of herring from Irish shores declined the fishing industry
Irish land act 1870
- failed policy - none of three F’s were achieved
- legalised ulster tenant right for ensuring compensation for eviction for reasons other than non-payment of rent
- principle of rent control introduced
- allowed tenants willing to buy their holding from their landlord to borrow 2/3rds of the purchase price from the state
what are the three F’s
fair rent - fair prices
free sale - sell goods without tax
fixity of texture - security via contract
context behind failure behind land act 1870
- landowners rented out land to tenants, landowners could evict or give 6 months notice without compensation for improvements they’d made until ulster tenant right
- 1850s-60s Irish tenant league advocated for the 3 F’s to protect tenant farmers
- want was supported by independent Irish party at Westminster 1850s
issues with the Irish land act 1870
- amount of compensation depended on the size of the farm wasn’t more than £250
- fair rent decided by landowners
- following the onset of agricultural depression after 1877 evictions became commonplace leading into the Land War
- advocation for 3 F’s failed, landowners increased prices thus tenants couldn’t pay causing riots and need for peace keeping
hopes the land act 1870 would achieve?
- clam the situation in Ireland
- encourage Irish landowners to develop more positive relationship with tenants
- improve conditions in Irish living
- ## it was seen to be anti-property and anti-landlord but passed with little opposition
coercion 1871
- aim of church and land act: bring peace and reduce support for the Fenians
- yet need to pass Peace Preservation Act 1870 and Westmeath Act 1871
- gave extra power over arrests and imprisonments
- needed due to the failure of land act
context to the Irish universities Bill 1873
- pre 1873 Irish university education was limited to trinity college and the Queen’s colleges founded by Peel (no present catholic university)
- Catholic Church objected to Peel’s ‘godless colleges’
Irish university bill 1873
- university of Dublin separated from trinity college alongside Queen’s colleges and catholic university was to provide education
- need to avoid controversy: religion, philosophy and modern history not to be taught
reform under Disraeli
- a pound for a pound grant for draining the river Shannon
- 1875 ratepayers could support national elementary schools
- intermediate education Act 1878 - schools receive a ‘float’ of £1M from the surplus funds from the disestablishment of the Irish church
- Irish secretary in 1879 created the Royal University of Ireland in 1879
- nothing done to alleviate the agricultural distress after 1877 leading to the land war and mass evictions
home rule
- a system by which Ireland would have its own parliament, responsible for Irish domestic affair
- would remain under the control of Westminster parliament
- Westminster responsible for foreign and defence policy
- Ireland would remain part of the Britain Empire
1800 - The Act of Union
- united Ireland and Britain creating the united Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Not universally popular and caused demands for Catholic emancipation
- Church of Ireland established alongside the Church of England caused dissatisfaction of catholic Irish population
Emancipation
= equal civil rights for catholics