1. Ireland: 1171 to 1850

2. 1171 Invasion by Henry II
Considered one of England’s greatest medieval kings
King during assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury
Henry named Lord of Ireland by Pope Adrian IV, only English pope
Invaded Ireland: maybe to place new Christian diocese under Canterbury’s control
England maintained ownership via power of papacy through 1541
English presence dwindled through 14th and 15th centuries
Henry II

3. Henry VIII and Ireland
1541: Henry declared the “Kingdom of Ireland” and embarked on Tudor “re-conquest”
Gaelic lords could attend Irish parliament
Irish remained Catholic; England protestant
Tudors attempted to impose English language, culture, religion
Henry: “Surrender and Re-grant” policy – Irish lords to submit to English sovereignty, and receive their lands back

4. Irish Rebellions
Gaelic custom: elect clan chiefs, whose elections often led to war
Henry VIII insisted on primogeniture, which involved English in clan disputes
Mary I and Elizabeth I suppressed revolts through the imposition of Plantations
Plantations: English overlords to impose English culture and language
Philip II supported Irish against Tudors, but failed to gain independence

5. Irish Rebellion of 1641
Charles I’s failed invasion of Scotland led to Protestant parliamentarians publicly calling for invasion of Catholic Ireland
Catholic Irish gentry rose against the Protestant Irish Parliament and English Long Parliament, loosely supporting Charles I
Catholic Irish killed thousands of Protestant “settlers”
English “Ordinance of No Quarter” dictated killing of Irish rebels
Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army violently put down rebellion, seized lands, destroyed gentry
Polarization from rebellion remains today

7. United Kingdom of Great Britain
1603: union of Scotland and England through the person of James I
1707: England and Scotland unified into “Great Britain”
1801: Act of Union unified Ireland into the “United Kingdom” of Great Britain
Irish rebellion of 1798 and madness of George III: need for order
Irish parliamentarians offered titles, land, money in exchange for support
Catholic Emancipation of 1829 allowed Irish Catholics to sit in Parliament

8. Potato Famine
Irish land typically divided among sons, so farms shrank with each generation
Holdings so small that farmers could grow only one crop per year; 1/3 of farms could not adequately feed family
Blight struck ; 500,000 to 1M died; 1M emigrated
Robert Peel repealed Corn Laws slowly; imported corn
English required paid labor in exchange for food: farmers couldn’t return to farms
Soup kitchens eventually replaced work programs
Poor Laws required farmers to abandon land; few would do it