Pre-1850 Ireland + the famine Flashcards
1
Q
What were the Ulster plantations?
A
British protestants who settled in NE Ireland from the Tudor period.
2
Q
Protestant Ascendancy
A
Power in Ireland concentrated in NE w/ the Protestant minority. The majority of the wealth came from shipyards + linen mills in the NE while 90% of the population were subsistence farmers. By 1850 the Catholic Irish controlled only 10% pf the land and the Irish parliament as dissolved by the 1801 Act of Union.
3
Q
Examples of previous unrest in Ireland
A
- 1798 Wexford Rising + failed French invasion to liberate the Catholic Irish.
- Daniel O’Connell’s successful repeal of the Tithe Laws in 1831 + campaign for repeal of the Act of Union - blocked by Peel.
- Catholic Association League formed 1823.
4
Q
Why did the 1845-52 famine have such a great affect?
A
- 90% of Irish were subsistence farmers so sold most crops to pay rent -> 1/3 relied solely on potatoes for food + couldn’t afford bread.
- farms received little investment from absentee English landlords -> low profits + output.
- population had 2x in the last 40 years -> over reliance on potato crop.
5
Q
Peel’s response
A
- Corn Laws repealed -> Tory/Peelite split.
- gov matched local fundraising efforts, gave relief commission + provided work for wages -> by 46 more than 750k Irish depended on public works.
6
Q
Russell’s government (from 46)’s response
A
- stopped funding public works programme due to belief in paternalism + Laissez-Faire.
- closed soup kitchens after 6 months in office.
- many (esp Senior Treasury official Trevelyan) believed the effects shouldn’t be mitigated as they thought the Irish would become lazy + God wanted to punish the Irish Catholics.
7
Q
Effects of the famine
A
- Tory/Peelite split -> period of
liberal dominance (until Disraeli’s premierships) as Liberal party formed from Peelites, Whigs + Radicals.
-over 1m died (20-25% of the Irish population died or emigrated). - 250 k people made homeless by evictions.
