Anglo-Irish relations c.1850-1886

Question 1

What was fenianism?

Answer 1

Anyone who supported Irish nationalism

Question 2

When were the first fenian disturbances and what happened?

Answer 2

1867
Terrorist attacks in Manchester, Liverpool and London

Question 3

What happened in 1869?

Answer 3

Irish Church Act

Question 4

What was the Irish Church Act?

Answer 4

Dis-established the Anglican Church
No longer collect taxes from Irish tenants
Faced lots of opposition and the Queen intervened

Question 5

What was the political condition of Ireland by 1851?

Answer 5

Majority of population rented small pieces of land from the upper class
1870s and 1880s depression due to cheap American corn which drove down prices and profits

Question 6

What was the social and economic condition of Ireland by 1851?

Answer 6

1845-51 Potato famine caused 1 million deaths and forced 2 million to emigrate BUT food was still being exported which meant if they couldn’t afford it, they couldn’t have it
By 1850s, there were more Irish in New York than in Dublin

Question 7

What did Gladstone pass in 1870?

Answer 7

Land Act

Question 8

What did the first Land Act do?

Answer 8

Introduced the principle of fair rent
Secured fixity of tenure if rent was paid
Tenants can sell leases
Loans for tenants to purchase land (2/3 land worth + 5% interest over 35 years ended up costing more than rent)

Question 9

What were the weaknesses of the Land Act?

Answer 9

Upset the whigs and peelites due to decreased landlord rights
No legislation to prevent eviction
Loans needed a deposit which the WC didn’t have (1870-75 only 150 people benefited from the loan scheme)
‘Fair rent’ was subjective
Landlords can increase rent whenever

Question 10

When were the Land Wars?

Answer 10

1877-79

Question 11

What were the Land Wars?

Answer 11

Wet summers, low crop yields and cheap American wheat decreased profits and there wasn’t enough protection from the Land Act (proved ineffective by depression)
Led to peasants demanding rent reductions and a re-distribution of land

Question 12

When was the Land League established?

Answer 12

October 1879

Question 13

What was the Land League?

Answer 13

Funded by Irish-Americans and led by Michael Davitt and Charles Stuart Parnell
Helped farmers who were threatened with evictions and pressured the gov for further reform.
Wanted to secure a secure tenure system

Question 14

Consequences of the Land Wars and the Land League?

Answer 14

1500 tenants called a strike in 1880

Question 15

Which party did Parnell found?

Answer 15

Home Rule party

Question 16

What was Home Rule?

Answer 16

A proposed government in Ireland that would legislate on domestic matters

Question 17

When was the second Land Act passed?

Answer 17

1881

Question 18

What was the 1881 Land Act?

Answer 18

Set up land courts to establish fair rent and both landlord and tenant were bound by this decision
Fixed rent for 15 years
Tenant safe from eviction if they paid

Question 19

How successful was the second Land Act?

Answer 19

Did not help tenants who were already in debt
No definition on fair rent
BUT rents decreased by 20%

Question 20

When was the Coercion Act passed?

Answer 20

1881

Question 21

What was the Coercion Act?

Answer 21

Parnell and his followers were arrested
Land Leagues became illegal

Question 22

What were the consequences of the Coercion Act?

Answer 22

Kilmainham agreement - government would clear all tenants’ debts (1882 Arrears Act) if Parnell stopped/condemned all violence

Question 23

What happened in May 1882?

Answer 23

Phoenix Park Murders

Question 24

What were the Phoenix Park murders?

Answer 24

Lord Cavendish and Thomas Burke were killed by nationalists

Question 25

What were the consequences of the Phoenix Park murders?

Answer 25

End of nationalists co-operation with Liberals Parnell's Home Rule movement damaged

Question 26

What did the nationalists do in 1885?

Answer 26

Back the Conservatives which means that Gladstone can no longer get legislation through so his government collapsed

Question 27

What did Cecil promise in the run up to the 1885 election?

Answer 27

An end to the coercion act and a Land Purchase Act that would set £5 million aside for tenants

Question 28

Who won the 1886 election?

Answer 28

Gladstone won it with an 86-seat majority

Question 29

What did Gladstone have to do to stay in government?

Answer 29

Offer the Irish nationalists Home Rule

Question 30

When was the vote on Home Rule?

Answer 30

February 1886

Question 31

What were the results of the Home Rule vote?

Answer 31

Conservatives voted no 80% Liberals vote no Over 72 Liberal MPs leave and form the Liberal unionists

Question 32

What were the consequences of the Home Rule vote?

Answer 32

Gladstone's government collapses and the Conservatives ascend to power

Question 33

Who was Isaac Butt and what did he do?

Answer 33

Set up the Home Government Association in 1870 to work towards a federal solution

Question 33

How many MPs did the Home Rule party have in 1874?

Answer 33

59