Topic 2 - British Reaction: From Resistance to Acceptance

What were the 4 long standing sources of discontent in Ireland at the start of the period? (explain)

• Religion - 80% Ir cath yet Prot official Church of Ir

• Poyning’s Law - Ir parliamentary decision required approval of Br parliament

• Economy - Br businessmen using Poynings law to leave Ir out of trade deals

• Declaratory Act - Formalises Br power of Ir (Poyning’s law) in 1720

What were the three key motives for Br to change their ways? (explain)

• Liberal Sympathy - 1782 gov becomes Whig - more sympathetic

• Security - Fr rev 1789, just lost USA - didn’t want to lose more empire or have Fr use Ir as landing base

• Damage Limitation - ^ control of Empire

What significant change happened in 1779?

Restriction on Ir traders abolished

What key change happened in 1782?

Declaratory Act repealed (1782 constitution)

What key change happened in 1793?

Pitt encouraged to pass Relief Act 1793, removing some penal laws

What were the three British Attempts to keep control of Ir pre-1885?

What was the true reason behind these attempts?

1801, Act of Union

1845, Maynooth Grant

1881, Irish Coercion Act

• Root cause behind each of these, is fear of losing control in/over Ireland

When/What was the Act of Union?

1801

• Ir Parliament dissolves

• 100 Ir MPs moved to Westminster

• Ir directly united with Br on legislation

What was the motivation for the 1801 Act of Union?

• Punish Ir for UI uprising, deterring future agitation

• ^ control of Ir, preserving empire

• Br negotiating peace w/ Fr after war → unlikely for Ir to go to Fr for support

How was Pitt willing to treat Catholics, as an alternative to the Act of Union? Why didn’t this happen?

Full emancipation (holding public office) → stronger relation with Ir

King opposed - threat of Caths with Gun Powder plot 1605

How successful was the Act of Union in helping Br maintain control?

• Cath emanc that Pitt wanted failed

• Caused discontent in Ire - Nationalists

• Caused discontent in Br - ^ anti-cath feel that is already prevelent e.g 1780 Gordon Riots

HOWEVER

• Does maintain empire

• No rebellion for next 30 yrs

When/What was the Maynooth Grant?

1845

• Br giving ^ funds to Ir Cath seminary - Royal College of St Patrick

• Initially £8000 but con PM Peel ^ £56,000 in total

What motivated Br to offer the 1845 Maynooth Grant?

• To avoid rebellion of just banning RA in 1843, appealling to moderate caths

• ^ relations between Caths and Prots in Ire

How successful was the 1845 Maynooth Grant in maintaining Br control?

• Unsuccessful impact on wide base of moderate caths (only truly impacting 1 seminary)

• Ire prot opposition (led by Orange Order) - annoyed as prots not felt supported by Br

• Br (cons) anti-cath

  • Plumptre (con MP) worried caths would demand more

  • Voluntaryists opposed gov grant-giving to priv institutions

• Onset of famine and ^ radicalism (YI/IRB) → ^ tension

When/What was the Irish Coercion Act?

1881

• Authorities in Ir can arrest/detain, without evidence or trial, anyone suspicious (suspending Habeas Corpus)

What motivated Br’s to pass the Irish Coercion Act?

• Land Wars

• IPP (parnell) in 1880 in parl with 63 Ir seats

• Lib PM Gladstone need IPP support → Gladstone tackling land issue

• Gladstone’s Land Bill too soft an approach

• Land wars getting out of hand → Gladstone bringing in coercion act to ^ control

How successful was the Ir coercion act in maintaining control of Ireland?

• Act successful in ^ control however…

• It was last resort for Gladstone, wanted more peaceful approach showing ^ sympathy from Br

The … bombing was when Fenian .. … was arrested in … and imprisoned. He was rescued by his collegues blowing up the prison door, killing … and injuring … . This made it clear tho Gladstone that … was vital.

The Clerkenwell bombing was when Fenian, Robert Burke was arrested in 1867 and imprisoned. He was rescued by his colleges blowing up the prison door, killing 12 and injuring 120. This made it clear tho Gladstone that change was vital.

By 1885, Gladstone was coming around to the idea of what? What were two of his reasons for this?

Home Rule

1) Moral Crusade - his god-given purpose to fight for HR

2) Political agenda - 1885, IPP 86/103 Ir seats → IPP in balance of power and Gladstone wanting to win them over (shows significance of AoU showing the power Ir MPs could have)

Why was Gladstone concerned about going public with his desire of HR? How did he deal with this?

• Concerned about political in-fighting - Either dividing libs or cons exploiting it)

• Gladstone’s son purposefully leaked papers showing Gladstone’s HR agenda to see public reaction - Flying the Hawarden Kite →…

First HR bill

When/What was the 1st HR Bill?

Who was it under?

At what stage was it defeated?

1886 under Gladstone

• Viceroy and Ir Parliament, no Ir MPs in Westminster

• Ir Parl to deal with domestic issues, UK dealt with everything else

• essentially a return to pre-1801

• Defeated in HoC (first hurdle) but only by minority of 30 votes → momentum for 2nd bill

When/What was the 2nd HR Bill?

Who was it under?

At What stage was it defeated?

1893 under Gladstone

• Viceroy and Ir Parliament

• 80 Ir MP in westminster to vote taxation and larger issues

• Passed HoC but huge defeat in HoL (419:41)

When/What was the 3rd HR bill?

Who was it under?

1912/1914 under Asquith

• Viceroy and Ir parliament

• Ir MPs in Westminster

• Ir parl could impose taxes just for Ir

• First time idea of northern exclusion is discussed but it is mooted

What was the reasons for the 3rd HR bill?

Death of Parnell and Gladstone stopped HR campaign

Libs won in 1910 after period of con dominance and libs needed support of IPP (under Redmond). IPP in balance of power again

What was the outcome of the 3rd HR bill?

Passed HoC but Ulster prots not happy → Asquith suggesting divide which Redmond reluctantly agreed to

Defeated in HoL HOWEVER 1911 Parliament Act → HoL only delaying legislation for 2 years → Passed in 1914

Then stopped by WW2 suspensory Act

What was the impact of the war of the 3rd HR bill? What law came out of the 3rd HR bill?

Suspensory act → delayed → by end of war most people don’t even want HR → only coming into action in the North in 1920 Gov of Ir Act

Who was in charge of looking at where the divide was in Ireland for 1920? What were the issues on deciding a divide?

Walter long

• Religious affiliation and political alignment - most caths nationalist and most prots unionists however that’s not exclusive

• Counties were prot:cath ratio almost 50/50 e.g Derry/Londonderry

• Dividing up Ulster - Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan part of Ulster but Cath dom so not in N. Ir

What did the Anglo-Irish Treaty offer?

• Dominion Status so South of Ir

• Revised Oath of faithfulness

• Br security and defence

• Ire 26 counties separate to N Ire part of the Union

Why was the Anglo-Irish Treaty/Irish Free State constitution act limited from an Ir Nationalist perspective?

• Ir still part of empire

• Still had to swear oath of alleigiance

• Ireland would be split

What contextual events led to Br passing the Ir Free State constitution act?

• Easter Rising 1916 and ^ SF

• Gov of Ire Act → Partition with HR to Ulster

• Anglo-Irish War → Anglo-Irish Treaty

There were changing political attitudes to Ir independence over the period. Summarise the British Reaction pre 1801.

Br was reactionary - offering slight concessions (1782 constitution, 1793 Relief Act) to pacify agitation at a time of weakness for the empire (loss of America and revolutionary Fr, executing King Lous XVI 1793)

There were changing political attitudes to Ir independence over the period. Summarise the British Reaction 1801-68

Br was pragmatic - 1801 → Ir MPs in balance of power and centralising Ir issues

Until 1829, cath emancipation key issue

• most opposing it e.g King George III, Knatchbull (Tory), Vyvyan (Tory) - strong anti-cath

• sympathisers e.g Lord Russell (Whig) and Canning (Tory)

Emancipation dividing Tory’s

However banning of RA shows where Br politicians were not sympathetic

There were changing political attitudes to Ir independence over the period. Summarise the British Reaction 1868-1922

Br was divided

^ sympathy and IPP legitimacy

Gladstone sympathetic → lib split → lib unionist party opposing HR in 1886

Merged with Tory’s to form conservative and unionist party in 1912

Why was the growth of the IPP so significant for changing HR?

→ ^ support for HR to prevent breakdown of Empire and with IPP in balance of power.

Show significance of AoU bringing Ir MPs into Westminster

When was William Pitt PM?

1783-1801

What were the key contextual factors influencing Pitt? (Hint: Give 3)

• Am war of independence (1775-1783) → ^ threat of IV due to Br vulnerability

• Anglo-fr war (1778 -83) Fr Rev (1789-99) → Fr liberty is inspiration for Ir nat (UI)

• Tone and UI Uprising (1798) - wanted to prevent loss of Empire

Given the contextual factors, what was Pitt’s primary aim?

His primary aim was to prevent further loss/damage of empire

Why was William Pitt significant?

First to introduce idea of union with Br

Considered Cath emanc

What positive actions did Pitt take?

Limited reform in 1780s

1793 Catholic Relief Act

1801 Act of Union

What was the benefit of Pitt’s limited reform in 1780s

The limited reform coming into action as a result of the 1782 constitution → support from moderate nationalist politicians (particularly prots) e.g Grattan

What did Pitt’s 1793 Catholic Relief Act do?

Caths right to vote

Can hold military and civil positions

(but not full emanc, still can’t sit in parl)

Why did Pitt pass the 1793 Catholic relief Act?

After support prot nats with his early limited reform, felt a need to look at cath reform by 1790s

Why did Pitt pass the Catholic relief act? How did it spark controversy?

Realised after Fr rev and ^ nat to deny rights would → Ir allying with Fr who Br would soon be at war with.

Some concerned over threat to Ir Prots but Pitt’s argument overpowered this.

What did Pitt’s 1801 Act of Union do? What did Pitt hope it would achieve?

Union between Br + Ir

• Wanted Br capitalist to ^ investment in Ir → ^ living standards

• Felt that it would decr Ir prot fear, no longer being a prot min and this would → emanc

What aspect of Pitt’s Act of Union didn’t get passed? Why?

He wanted Cath emanc

King George opposed it

What were the positive outcomes of Pitt’s premiership?

• Moderate nationalist won over - IV, patriots more accepting of Viceroy, Grattan publicly supporting Br-Ir link → support of the respectable nationalists

• Message to Ir Nats - opening door to possibility of change

  • although Pitt hoping they wouldn’t take it (with priority on loss of empire)

• Significance of Union with Br - Ir MPs in Westminster

  • BUT King blocking emanc → just progress for Prots

What were the limitations to Pitt?

• Priority on loss of empire over the liberty of Ir Caths

• Failure to pass cath emanc

• Union at this point only truly benefitted Ir prots (caths not able to sit in parl)

What was Gladstone PM? How many premiership did he have?

4 premierships

• 1868-74

• 1880-85

• 1886

• 1892-94

What were the key contextual factors influencing Gladstone?

• IRB uprising 1867

• Won over to HR - 1885

• Moral crusade - “pacify Ireland” for easier relation/union → necessity to address key issues

  • Church

  • Land

  • Education

• Economic depression

• Land Wars

• ^ HR - Parnell

Why was Gladstone so significant?

• Sympathetic to Ir cause (not just focus on Empire like Pitt)

• Focused on wide range of issues (land, church, edu, HR etc)

• Commitment to HR lasting in lib manifesto for decades

When/What were the key bits of legislation Gladstone came up with? State which pieces of legislation passed and which didn’t

(Hint: there are 6)

• 1869 - Irish Church Act

  • passed

• 1870 - First Land Act

  • passed

• 1873 - Universities Bill

  • does NOT pass

• 1880 - Second Land Act

  • passed

• 1886/1893 Home Rule Bills

  • does NOT pass

When/What was Gladstone’s Irish Church Act?

1869 - Disestablishing C of Ir so it has same standing as Cath Chuch

What was the cause of the 1869 Church Act?

Religious tensions being source of contention for years (e.g Tithe Wars)

What Gladstone overcome to pass his 1869 Church Act?

Opposition fro cons and Queen

When/What was Gladstone’s Land Act?

1870 - ^ legal rights to tenants, compensation for wrongful evictions, right to buy land with gov loans, no ‘exorbitant’ rent prices

What was the cause of the 1870 Land Act?

Prot land owners vs 500,000 majority cath tenant farmers on 1870.

High rent

Absentee landlordism

Few rights to protect tenants from wrongful evictions

What was so significant about the 1870 land act? What does the second land act tell us?

1870 act shows shift from focus on landlord to focus on tenant

1881 Land Act shows perhaps 1870 act is limited/wasn’t hugely effective

When/What was the Gladstone’s Universities bill?

1873 - abolish colleges and unite them into one secular Dublin uni

What was the cause of the 1873 Universities bill?

Dublin Uni, Trinity college - protestant uni until 1793 when started to admit Caths but with strong prot ethos still

Cath uni of Ir and Secular Queens Uni had cath edu

This exploits rel divide - Gladstone wanted to change this

By how many votes was the Univeristy Bill defeated? How can this be used in 2 ways?

Was defeated by 3 votes

• The bill was defeated by con and church opposition showing lack of change

• Defeated by such small minority suggesting lots of momentum behind the cause

When/What were Gladstone’s two Home Rule Bills?

1886/1893 - Both offered varying degrees of HR

• 1886 - Viceroy and Ir Parl to deal with domestic affairs

• 1893 - same as 1886 but with 80 Ir MPs sitting is Westminster to vote on larger issues

How could Gladstone’s HR bills be used as evidence in two ways?

They both failed to get passed

But HR remained in Lib manifesto for ears e.g Asquith’s HR bill

When was Asquith PM?

1908-16

What contextual factors influenced Asquith?

• Nationalism and IPP growing in parl → Br having to ^ acceptance of Ir cause. (Redmond’s IPP in balance of Power)

• Shifting political attitudes - Ir demands

What were Asquith’s personal feeling on Br relation with Ir?

Less enthusiastic for HR than Gladstone concerned about giving autonomy to a country bound to Br for over a century

But political necessity of getting IPP support overpowered this

What key action did Asquith take?

• 1912 HR bill

• 1913 exclusion

• 1914 conference at Buckingham Palace

• 1914 HR law

When/What was Asquith’s HR bill?

1912 - Ir Parl for domestic affair, Ir MPs in Westminster

Why was Asquiths HR bill sure to become law?

Because of the 1911 Parliament Act limiting power of HoL to only delaying an act for 2 years

How was Asquith’s inital HR bill limited? What did it lead to?

Failed to acknowledge northern anti-HR feel

Only offered single parliament for whole of Ir → protest in Ulster and UVF formation in 1913

Led to 1912-14 Home Rule Crisis

How did Asquith HR bill cause divides?

Unionists in Ulster and Cons opposed HR

Radical nationalist made paramilitary groups

Asquith then offers solution excluding Ulster from HR

IPP in position of political power refusing to compromise not wanting Ulster to remain part of Br

Who was Edward Carson? What did he propose in 1913? How did Asquith react to this? Why?

Leader of Unionists

Proposed 9-county Ulster Exclusion

Asquith refused this

Because he realised he needed the full support from IPP who strongly opposed Ulster exclusion

What happened as a result of the HR bill passing in 1914?

^ political activity - paramilitary forces from both sides eventually, supplied weapons from Ger.

Reintroduction of weaponry into Ir politics

When/Why/What was the Conference at Buckingham Palace?

1914

George V and Asquith organise conference to prevent conflict and negotiate a compromise between Br gov, Unionists and Ir Natonalists

Lasted 3 days

What was the outcome of the 1914 conference?

Ir Party unprepared to compromise on dividing Ir → no compromise found

This threatened civil war only stopped by WW1 with Suspensory Act

What factors led to Asquith’s weakness?

Dependency on Ir Party → position of political weakness havig to side with their uncompromising style

Failure to consider both sides initially, ignoring north → political unrest and reintroduction of arm into Ir politics

His personal concerns over HR

What could Asquith be credited with?

First PM to pass HR

Under him that the idea of division was first introduced

His passing of the 1911 Parliamentary Act significant

His passing of Hr in 1914 paved with for 1920 act

When was David Lloyd George PM?

1916-22

Why was the rise of Sinn Fein significant to impacting DLG?

1918, SF (seperatist, nat) won maj of Ir seats instead of IPP who win 1916/17 were still being hugely uncompromising not wanting the northern divide

What did the SF MPs do after their election as a maj in 1918?

Abstentionism - they didn’t take their seats

Formed Dail in 1919 - going beyond HR

What other key contextual factor influence DLG? What did it lead to?

Anglo-Irish War/War of Independence (1919-21) - Use of Guerilla warfare, IRA targeting police (RIC)

Initial want to restore order in Ir but after Bloody Sunday (B+Ts) felt new approach needed. DLG willing to compromise → Anglo-Irish Treaty

What key action did DLG take?

• 1920 - Government of Ireland Act

• Sending in B+T’s → aggression

• 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty

• 1922 - Irish Free State Constitution Act

When/What was DLG’s Government of Ireland Act?

1920

• 6-county Northern Ireland with own HR gov

• 26-county Southern Ireland with own gov

  • Initially designed to be temporary split

In response to the violence of the Anglo-Irish War, what legislation was passed?

Restoration of Order in Ireland Act 1920

Replace trial by jury with court-martial to speed up conviction rates. Allowed imposition of martial law

Explain DLG’s decision to ^ military presence in Ir. How were these decisions recived?

Recruiting ex-soldier for RIC, using aggressive tactics became know as Black and Tans

At first DLG supported but by 1921, after bloody Sunday new approach needed

Explain the series of talks between DLG and de Valera

• Peace Talks July 1921 - failed DLG only willing to offer dominion status, de Valera wanting independent Ireland

• Autumn 1921 - nationalists willing to talk and eventually Ir accepting Ir Free State within Br empire

• This led to Anglo-Irish Treaty

When/What was DLG’s anglo-Irish Treaty?

1921

• Ireland Dominion Status - domestic independence with limited foreign power

• Br monarch head of state

• Oath of faithfulness

• Boundary commission to decide boarders of N Ir

How did Britain feel after DLG’s premiership?

Victory - retain Ireland within Empire

How was DLG’s premiership positive for Ir Nationalists?

Step closer to republic

Anticipation of issues with Ulster resolved with the Boundary commission to decide on boarders

They felt in a good position knowing IRA could not withstand more war

DLG’s willingness to discuss in talk

DLG’s acceptance that change had to be made to end Anglo Ir war

What were the limitations of DLG’s premiership

Many still upset by Ir split

Largely working off of the work from other PMs