Nationalism In 19Th Century Ireland Essays -

Nationalism In 19Th Century Ireland Nationalism in Ireland during the Nineteenth Century After the Act of Union in 1801 the fate of the Irish people was in the hands of British M.P.s. They ruled the majority in Parliament and were making all of the decisions without much regard for the opinion from the people of Ireland. In order for the voices of the Irish people to be heard there would have to be a new nationalist approach to dealing with the British Parliament. Leaders such as Daniel OConnell and Charles Parnell revolutionized strategies of approaching government. The beginning of the century belonged to OConnell and his nonviolent approach, but the second half of the century belonged to Parnell who was not concerned as much with peace. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the question at hand was whether or not Catholics could be trusted, however the early part of the nineteenth century dealt with a new issue, Catholic Emancipation. The success of the emancipation effort can be attributed to the political genius of one man, Daniel OConnell. OConnell was a successful lawyer in Ireland and wanted to join his people together to fight for Catholic Emancipation. Although the penal laws at the end of the eighteenth century had allowed Catholics to have their own schools, vote at parliament elections and join professions, they were still banned from sitting in parliament, becoming judges, and holding high offices in the army and navy. OConnell realized that in order to receive full emancipation they would have to join together in a single organized effort. His actions displayed a nationalist effort that had never been seen before to this caliber before. In 1823 OConnell started the Catholic Association. What was different about the Association than any other prior movement groups was that it included everyone. It was not aimed solely at the wealthy. This mass of people included the Catholic Clergy who became trusted leaders of local agitations. OConnell established a rent which was a one penny per month subscription to the association. This rent not only produced more revenue for the cause than ever before, but also created a sense of belonging to the cause. In order to change the voice of parliament to support Catholic emancipation the Association pushed its members to vote. They did not want them to vote according to their landlords whishes like they had done in the past. OConnell and the association wanted the people to vote to help their cause. The association was able to help financially support those who were kicked off of their land for not complying with their landlords wishes of who to vote for. This enabled a few members of parliament who were opposed to emancipation be replaced by those who did. Another turning point of the movement was when OConnell decided to run against Fitzgerald for a seat in Parliament. Although OConnell was prohibited by law to actually sit in parliament he was allowed to run. In 1828 OConnells people showed up at the voting booths in large numbers and he defeated Fitzgerald, adding fire to his cause. Wellington and Peel were very powerful leaders in Parliament and opposed to the emancipation of Catholics, but could not fail to recognize the intensity and organization of the Association. Even though OConnell called for a peaceful resolution Peel and Wellington feared violence. When the Catholic Emancipation bill was introduced in 1829 they supported and it was passed on April thirteenth of that year. This was a huge victory for OConnell and they Catholic people. It also showed how when a feeling of nationalism was created for a cause that goals could be accomplished. This was the most defining moments of OConnells career and inspiration for his repeal association which followed soon after. The repeal association was organized in a similar fashion to the Catholic Association. It included a rent, and encouraged support from the masses. OConnell and his followers believed that if they stood up to parliament in an organized fashion with large numbers of people then change could be made without the use of physical force. Monster meetings were organized where attendance was unprecedented. It seemed as though the people would be heard again, but OConnell did not realize that the circumstances of parliament differed greatly during the repeal movement than those of the emancipation movement. The conservative party had taken control of parliament and OConnells rival Robert Peel was Prime Minister. Peel and the parliament were not nearly as