Home Rule :: Essays Papers

Home Rule It all took place between the 1870's and 1920's. Home rule was a huge part of the political life in Ireland, which meant that the Irish Parliament would be restored for most issues, but the British government would still cover many important areas (Conflict 3). The term Government Association started to be used very frequently; Isaac Butt was the gentleman who founded this association. In 1873 this became known as the Home Rule League and in 1874 a general election was held where fifty home rulers were elected to the Home Rule party also known as the Irish Parliamentary Party (Irish 29). Butts' goal was to get both Protestants and Catholics to support Home Rule as a movement targeted towards giving Ireland a federal government within the United Kingdom. Butt was not an aggressive leader and the people of Ireland did not feel he was fulfilling his job completely. A man by the name of Charles Stewart Parnell challenged Butt and became the leader in 1880 (Charles17). The British people began to think that the Home Rule would lead to the separation of Ireland and Britain. Parnell realized that the people did not like the British Rule and this is what caused them to support Irish nationalism. In 1880 Parnell won the support of the Fenians and the Irish Republican brotherhood that wanted total separation but were willing to compromise and accept Home Rule. In 1881 the second Land Act gave the "Three F's" which the Land League had demanded. Fair rents would be fixed by judges appointed by the government, fixed tenancies would have to be agreed between tenants and landowners (avoiding evictions), and free sale of his lease would be permitted to a tenant who wished to give up farming. Gladstone and most of the Liberal Party conversed to the Home Rule cause in 1885, and this is when the conservative party opposed Home Rule and threatened some kind of defense on the United Kingdom (Gladstone 6).