Irish Home Rule 1867-90 Overview

Question 1

Why were landlord-tenant relations so tense and difficult?

Answer 1

• most of the land was owned by Anglo-Irish Protestant landlords
• rented their land to tenants
• landlords left the management of their estates in the hands of agents, who could turn tenants off the land without a just reason or notice
• this situation above became complicated
• Casual sub-letting agreements (when an existing tenant lets all or part of their home to someone else who is known as the subtenant)
• Carried little security of tenure (holding property or land for an agreed period of time)

Question 2

Explain the terms of the Irish Land Act 1870

Answer 2

Aim was to give basic protection to tenants and satisfy landlords
BUT
Tenants
- the clause for fair rent was limited in value
- it failed to define what was meant by fair rent
- landlords had the power to raise rent as they pleased
- no compensation for eviction if tenants if rent still owed
Landlords
- protestant ascendancy=the position of protestant owning class in Ireland that dominated cultural, economic, political and social life
- gladstones act challenged this
- landlords felt threatened
- they resisted attempts by tenants who attempted to purchase their land
-

Question 3

What Gladstones Irish Land Act 1870 a complete failure?

Answer 3

• the irish land act was a complete failure
• limited in fully defining terms
  -the act caused landlords to become anxious over their property rights
• it also caused further outbreaks due to this further unrest

Question 4

Identify the role of state coercion to bring peace to Ireland in 1870?

Answer 4

• Gladstone created the coercion act
• gave police constables extensive power to carry out arrests
• destroyed any of the positive aspects of the irish land act
• the acts aim was to create peace
• BUT, it resulted in acts of repression, which created more future problems

Question 5

What was the main cause of the Land Wars?

Answer 5

• the main cause of the land war was the agricultural depression
• it occured due to wet summers leading to:
  > disastrous harvest and arrival of cheap american corn
  > low crop yields, the fall in price of british wheat, meaning a fall in profits for farmers
• many farmers were unable to meet the demand for rent, leading to evictions
• many landowners reacted by joining their land into larger units, which led to the eviction of smaller tenants

Question 6

What was the land league and its aims (three Fs)?

Answer 6

• founded in 1879 by Michael Davitt
• the aim of this pressure group was to reform the land tenure system, and gain security for tenant farmers
• ## their demands were focused on fair rent, fixity of tenure and free sale of the right to occupancy

Question 7

What methods did the land league use?

Answer 7

• organised demonstrations using legal methods such as mass meetings, with the accompaniment of brass bands
• the league also encouraged tenant farmers to withold their rent
• there was also use of violence however
• e.g evicted tenants were supported by gangs, carrying out acts of retaliation against the landlords
• boycotting landlords
• once the land league officially initiated this, the entire community had refused landlords goods and services e.g labour

Question 8

Who was Parnell and what tactics did he use?

Answer 8

• Charles Parnell was an Irish Nationalist
• he became first president of the Land League in 1879
• He had a ruthlessness and authority, which gave him massive support in Ireland
• He called for decisive action against Irish landlords
• Campaign of obstructionism or filibustering

Question 9

What were Gladstone’s Irish policies in 1881-1882 & why were these policies created?

Answer 9

• Gladstone regarded the Land League as a criminal conspiracy
• The escalating unrest and acts of lawlessness persuaded Gladstone that there was a need for coercion
  -1881, a Coercion Act was pushed through parliament
• It allowed anyone suspected of involvement in illegal activities to be imprisoned for undefined time, without trial
• in tandem, the 1881 land act was also passed
• set up special land courts to establish a fair rent
• Landowner and tenant bounded by the court’s decision
• Rent fixed up to 15 years
• Tenant was safe from eviction as long as he paid the rent (not those in arrears however)

Question 10

What happened on October 1881 and then in 1882?

Answer 10

• October 1881, Parnell and his followers were arrested under the terms of the coercion act
• The Land league were proscribed (made illegal)
• Arrears Act 1882 was passed
• settled the current arrears of rents of all tenants, on the condition that Parnell gets rid of the violence and ends the rent strikes
• Parnell then released in May 1882 as part of the bargain made with gladstone