The document discusses the Irish Question from the 17th to 19th century, covering major events that divided the population between Gaelic Irish Catholics and Protestant settlers and British government. This included penal laws against Catholics, civil wars, famines, rebellions against British rule, and ultimately the 1800 Act of Union that abolished the Irish legislature and combined Ireland and Britain into the United Kingdom. Catholic emancipation was gradually achieved but self-government was not successfully restored.

1. The Irish Question
17th - 19th century

2. Everything started in
1541
When Henry VIII was
declared King of Ireland
in the Irish Parliament

3. Population divided: Gaelic Irish & Old English
Antagonistic —> differences declining
- shared religion: ROMAN CATHOLICISM
vs
New English settlers: PROTESTANT
+ the officially protestant British Government of Ireland

4. - confiscation of the land
- PENAL LAWS= a series of laws imposed in an attempt to force the
Irish Catholics to accept the established Church of Ireland
Irish Catholics appealed to the king, who allowed:
The Graces = a program that aimed at religion toleration, which
brought to an agreement at the cost of an increase in the taxes
Problems not solved
—>

5. Civil war 1641 - 1691
Irish catholics vs British forces + Protestant
settlers
= dispossession of catholic landed elite

6. Parlamentarians defeat the royalists
1649: Charles I executed —> Cromwell conquers
Ireland
1660: Charles II, Restoration of the monarchy
1685: James II
1688: Glorious Revolution ——>

7. James II deposed —> William of Orange (+ Irish and British
protestants)
Vs
Irish Catholics

8. 1704, acts:
The members of the Irish parliament had to
be member of the Church of Ireland
Limits to catholics

9. 1719: an act reaffirmed the British Parliament's right to legislate
for Ireland
—> Irish parliament made subordinate

10. 1741: a famine ended up in a major disaster. This great deal of
dire poverty killed hundreds of thousands of people.
1760: “White boys” burned buildings and maimed cattle
1770s: + the oak boys & the steel boys
1775: American war of Independence instigates Irish unrest
_________________________________________________
From 1778: restricting laws gradually repealed
1782: Politicians ( Grattan’s parliament) persuaded London to
grant the Irish parliament legislative independence. One
condition: loyalty

11. The Irish Rebellion, 1798
Main organizing force: The United Irishmen
(Theobald Wolfe Tone)
Suppressed by the British Crown

12. 19th century
Early times: Ireland still reeling
1800: ACT OF UNION (Irish Parliament +
Parliament of Great Britain) —>

13. From January 1st, 1801
Irish legislature abolished
Kingdom of Great Britain + Kingdom of
Ireland = United Kingdom of GB and Ireland

14. Catholic emancipation
(blocked by George III)
Culmination in 1829: Roman Catholic Relief
Act, by Daniel O’Connel
—> unsuccessful restoration of Irish self-
government

15. 1845 - 1851: The Great Irish Famine. It caused the
emigration of one million people and the death of
another million. This was the worst epidemic that
Ireland had ever had to face.

16. 1848: the Young Irelanders formed the Irish Confederation
—> attempt to launch a rebellion vs British rule

17. –Nicolò Dell’Agnolo V Ds
Thank you for your attention