Irish rebellion

Question 1

Why were Catholic Irish-people annoyed?

Answer 1

• The Catholics were 80% of the population but 80% of them were owned by Protestant English aristocrats but they didn’t visit the places they owned, which were called Absentee Landlords.
• The Catholics had to pay a tithe to the Church of England which they hated because it wasn’t their religion
• They couldn’t vote
• They wanted a change in the political, social, religious and educational discrimination

Question 2

Why were Protestant Irish-people annoyed?

Answer 2

• They wanted to be free from Britain, and their own American-style Revolution
• They didn’t like the fact that one of their own substantial markets was closed, which angered many
• In 1799-80 Ireland was allowed to export glass and linen to trade with all of Britains oversees colonies except those administrated by the East India Company

Question 3

What did Rockingham do in 1782 and what was the reaction?

Answer 3

• In 1782 Rockingham repealed the Declaratory Act of 1719, which was a law that bestowed full legislative rights on the Westminster Parliament whenever they chose to exercise it
• The Irish Lords were also given jurisdiction on legislative matters.
• Britain controlled who was in 2 prominent positions, the Lord Lieutenants and Chief secretary.
• It wasn’t representative of the Irish populace because the Catholics couldn’t vote and most of them were pro-Britain
• More than 1/2 of the 300 members were chosen by borough mongering English.
• The Irish Parliament mostly had Englishmen
• They mostly had English not Irish policies

Question 4

What affect did Rockingham’s laws have in the 1780’s?

Answer 4

• In 1784 the Corn Law was passed, encouraging the production of Irish grain from trans-shipment to Britain,
• The Irish linen trade tripled from 1781-1792, which was profitable
• Britain still controlled most of the trade
• The population increased by 29% from 1781-1801,
• The size of the farms were shrinking, so half of the populace was on land that wasn’t fertile or suited for growing.
• The grain was made for English markets, so the Irish relied more on potatoes.

Question 5

Who were the United Irishmen?

Answer 5

• Theobald Wolfe Tone started it in 1791, and it wanted radical political reform and nationalist identity, all irishmen to get the vote and to be independant from England
• Most of the members were shop-keepers and skilled urban workers, instead of the land-owning class
• They believed that sectarianism had no place in politics

Question 6

What were the problems within the United Irishmen?

Answer 6

• They were Protestants and Catholics but the Catholics were mostly anti- Protestant, and didn’t want to be under Protestant control.
• The different ideas between the Catholics and the Protestants meant the movement was divided, and they had inner turmoils.

Question 7

What did Pitt do to combat the United Irishmen?

Answer 7

• In 1793 the Catholic Relief Bill was made, giving the Catholics the right to bear arms and could be most civil and military posts, but not Justices of the Peace or MP’s.
• It didn’t change much of the social and economic balance of Ireland
• The United Irishmen thought this was not enough
• Pitt made the Militia Act to crush any groups opposing the Government
• The Insurrection Act meant that anyone found doing anything against the English Government was treasonous and increased the magistrates power to search for arms.

Question 8

Why couldn’t Pitt do much to help Ireland?

Answer 8

The King didn’t like the Catholics or the Irish because he thought it was against his oath to become king
Pitt knew he would be ejected

Question 9

What were the Irish Rebellions in 1799 and why did they fail? ***

Answer 9

• The United Irishmen wanted to oppose Britain, so tried to make some rebellions in the North and South, but they were defeated by Pitt
• Pitt was effective in stopping the rebellions because he arrested most of the most prominent United Irishmen leaders in 1798, leaving only the Catholic Peasants, who had more anti-Protestant sentiment than making Ireland independent and were beaten on Vinegar Hill, and small rebellions were crushed.
• They also waited for French reinforcements that never came because the French were spread out and. the couldn’t get to Ireland because of the weather.

Question 10

What is the Act of Union?

Answer 10

Irelands government would be dissolved and would be ruled by Britain

Question 11

How did Pitt deal with the opposition of the Act of Union?

Answer 11

• It was first proposed in 1799 when most MPs where against it, but in 1800 it was accepted.
• The Lord Lieutenant and Chief Secretary both worked together to convince the Parliament otherwise.
• Pitt gave people better jobs such as the Archbishop of Cossack was promised the Archbishop of Dublin
• Pitt told the Northerners that the linen trade would improve
• Pitt tried to bribe MP’s to change sides, but then gave them money to retire, so that all the people who were against it were for it in 1800.

Question 12

What was the affect of the Act of Union?

Answer 12

• 100 new seats were made in Parliament for the Irish
• The Anglican and Irish churches combined
• Ireland made up 12% of the UK’s budget

Question 13

What is the Catholic Emancipation Act and why wasn’t it passed?

Answer 13

This was to allow Catholics to become MP’s, which Pitt agreed with but the King didn’t calling it unpatriotic so Pitt left