Since the 12th century all Ireland had know was life under the rule of the British Empire and their oppressive laws and discrimination. England worked to force Irish culture out of Ireland and attempted to Anglicize the Irish Catholics and Protestants through the Penal Laws. England also took away political power from Ireland through the Act of Union in 1800. This merged the Irish parliament with the British parliament where the Irish nearly lost all control in their government decisions. |
The Irish were outraged by the act and for nearly a century fought for what they called Home Rule. Some still wanted to remain tied with England while others such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) sought for complete independence from England. It was not until 1914 that England passed a bill to end home rule. However, the bill was put on pause at the start of World War I. The IRB was enraged and believed that England would never ratify the bill. The IRB saw the world war as their chance to catch England of guard, so they began plan the Easter Rising.
April 24, 1916: Easter Monday. An underground group of Irish Nationalists, called the Irish Republican Brotherhood, proclaimed the establishment of an Independent Irish Republic. Fighting arose, and in about a week, The British Army squashed the rebellion with over two-thousand dead or injured. The Rising was meant to take place over all of Ireland, but it ended up primarily being in Dublin. The Rebellion Began when Padraig Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic on the steps of the General Post Office in Dublin. |
Roughly 1,600 men followed the lead of the IRB. The Proclamation stated that a provisional government was to take power, which comprised of IRB members. Even though the passion of independence burned in the hearts of the rebels, the majority of Irish people did not join the cause. They needed public support to drive the British out, but the public were more upset that their daily lives were interrupted and placed in danger. The Rising was crushed as abruptley as it had started. The British government instituted martial law. 450 people died with 2,000 people injured, many of whom were civilians. The fighting razed a large portion of the Dublin city-center. This destruction and death filled Irish peoples' hearts with resentment for the rebels. The Rebels failed in every way possible, at first. |