British Politics

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British Politics The Irish Question
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Overview

• a quick discussion of the evolution of the
  political parties in Britain
• a rundown of the Irish Question

3
Whigs vs. Toriesin the Early 19th century

• Whig
• country party
• supremacy of Parliament
• abolitionist
• increased suffrage
• support for free trade
• supported by aristocracy, then industrial and
  business families
• supported dissenters

• Tory
• court party
• supremacy of monarchs
• supported by merchant class
• supported by government and administrative
  classes
• split by trade issues in 1846 (repeal of the Corn
  Laws)

4
Ch-ch-ch-changes

• Liberal Party
• formed from Whigs and Free Trade Tories
• Whig faction becomes more irrelevant
• Whigs are largely obsolete as a political force
  by 1900

• Conservative Party
• formed out of Peels ideas
• adheres to Tory sentiments, some modern
  conservatives still call themselves Tories

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Liberal and Conservative
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Voting patterns
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A History of Ireland, Part the First

• Ireland - Gaelic Celts early rulers
• St. Patrick (432 A.D.)
• 1155 - English Pope (Adrian) conferred upon King
  of England lordship over Ireland

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A History of Ireland, Part the Second

• by 1500 English domination extends to an area
  around Dublin known as the Pale
• Irish rebellions begin in earnest
• 1598 Queen Elizabeth settles Ulster (last area
  outside of English control)

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A History of Ireland, Part the Third

• 1801 Act of Union
• 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act
• 1840s potato famine led to starvation, massive
  migration, resentment toward English

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A History of Ireland, Part the Fourth

• three options by the 1880s
• remain the same
• Home Rule (have their own government within
  Britain)
• Irish Republic
• Sinn Fein formed by 1904

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A History of Ireland, Part the Fifth

• 1914 - Home Rule bill passed but not everyone was
  happy
• militias form
• Ulster Volunteers (wanting to remain in the UK)
• Irish Republic Army (wanting a united Ireland)
• Home Rule suspended for the duration of WWI
• 1916 - Easter Uprising

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A History of Ireland, Part the Sixth

• 1918 WW I ends
• 1919 independence declared, civil war begins
• 1922
• peace treaty signed
• Ireland gets independence from Britain
• 6 counties of Ulster (N. Ireland) vote to remain
  with UK

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to be continued