What were the causes of the Easter Rising

On Monday 24th 1916 100 republican men marched on the general post office in Northern Ireland and took it over. The Pearse declared that Ireland was now an independent country. After one week of fierce fighting the British army won the battle. Damage was enormous and both sides killed innocent people among the 490 dead and 2,000 injured. On the 29th April 1916 Patrick Pearse and his rebel gang surrended to the British army. The British army executed 15 of the rebel leaders. Ireland has a long history of revolts and rebellions against the British. Nationalists led by Wolfe Tone had revolted many times in the 18th and 19th century.

It was the rebellion of 1798 that made the British abolish Irish parliament this caused many problems when the home rule movement tried to get parliament back. This party was set up in the 1870’s by Irish nationalists. Home rule bills failed in 1886 and 1893. It took decades before the British gave in and gave the Irish home rule. Home rule was passed in 1914 but the fenians were not happy with just that they wanted complete independence and din” want to wait until the end of the war when the British had postponed it too. The fenians got frustrated as the war went on longer than expected.

This was a major cause of the Easter Rising. The potato famine of 1845 to 1849 was another long-term cause of the Easter rising. This caused great resentment towards the British, as it seemed they did little to relieve it. This caused approximately 1 million deaths. The biggest problem was that too many people were trying to scrape a living off the land. British landlords who were only interested in making a profit owned much of the land. Religious divisions also split the two countries. Many English settled in the north who were Protestant. The rest of Ireland were catholic.

The Catholics resented favourable treatment from the British in the 19th century, because Ireland didn’t have a government they couldn’t do anything about this. The British passed a law in 1829 that the Catholics could become MP’s only in that year and that Catholics had to pay money to support the Protestant Church of England. The Boer war between 1899-1902 was a short-term cause. This was a war between the British and South Africans who also wanted to be free from British control and have there own independence. This inspired the Irish to stand up to the British and do what they wanted to do.

The Irish Nationalists had great sympathy for the south Africans, as they were a smaller group of people, so this gave Ireland confidence they knew they could defeat them. The outbreaks of war in 1914 made the English fight on the western front against the Germans. Fewer and fewer soldiers could keep Ireland in order. This gave Ireland an opportunity to take over Dublin ” England’s misfortune is Ireland’s opportunity” The Irish took advantage of Germany at the same time. The Germans sent them rifles and ammo. They did this to be sure they would defeat Britain.

The Germans believed if they helped the Irish it may distract the British so they could progress and defeat them. In 1916 the British introduced conscription little men were joining. The Irish citizens feared they would be involved in this. The political leaders in leaders also couldn’t devote their time to Ireland in 1916 also because of the 1st world war. The success of home rule made the Protestants in the north angry. Under leaders like Edward Carson, the Irish formed the Ulster Volunteers a private army to make sure that Northern Ireland was kept in union with the U. K.

In response to this army the Catholics formed the Irish Volunteers. This meant that in Ireland there were 2 small armies ready to fight. But the republicans where those who took part in the Easter Rising. When the 1st world war broke out the Ulster volunteers went to fight Germany, Most of the Irish volunteers refused to fight Germany and took part in the Easter Rising instead. A small number of republicans weren’t satisfied with home rule. They wanted complete independence and didn’t want to wait until the end of the war. The Irish volunteers refused to fight to fight so they planned a rebellion instead.

Many of the Irish volunteers were members of 2 republican groups, Sinn Fein of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood. Patrick Pearse led the Irish revolutionary brotherhood. They wanted to be independent. He believed they should fight when the British were fighting Germany. James Connolly led the Irish volunteers. Both of these groups refused to fight against the Germans and planned to fight in Easter of 1916. There are links between the different causes which made the Easter Rising happen. One of them was because Home Rule was postponed until after the war. The nationalists were very angry by this.

This was the most important cause of the Easter Rising. Ireland wanted Independence and they were frustrated with Britain’s decision and wanted home rule to be passed then. This is why they became so rebellious and wanted to take over Ireland as their own country. The First World War forced the British to fight on the western front. The British were distracted so Ireland had their chance and opportunity to take over Dublin. There were fewer soldiers to fight with them. The threat of conscription also made Ireland feel angry they wanted to be independent and not to be involved with British concerns. i In these sources there are many things, which agree in each source.

In source a M. E Collins mentions how the British navy captured the ship. In source B + C they all mention this. This may show that is a fact. In sources B + C they say they were carrying arms on the ship. In each source they say that casement was arrested after being caught. This also makes us think that this a fact. B+C also include that it was a German ship was carrying the weapons, A+C mention that casement was returning to Ireland by U-boat. This is how he got caught arrested. B+C mentions the time period that this happened. They saw it was a week before Easter.

Source only mentions that it was on a Friday. This isn’t reliable that it was before or after Easter. 2Ii There are many points, which the 3 sources differ. In source a they say he was arrested in Kerry neither of the 2 other sources mention this. I think this is important but I don’t think it is reliable as only one out of 3 say this. In source b they say there were a number of arrests including Sir Roger Casement, in the other two they say Casement, but they don’t mention any one else. B+C mention the weapons and how many there were and what weapons they were, source A does not even say anything about the weapons.

I think this is not a reliable source, this is why casement was arrested. But only one says exactly what the weapons were this is also important. The day when the ship was captured is different. In source a they it was on Friday but in source b they say it was a week before Easter. This would be a Sunday and source c says the last few days of Easter. None of the sources are reliable for the exact date. The day of arrest also appears different in each source. Source A says a Saturday the other two does not mention the day of arrest they only state the day of capture of the ship.

This shows that we can not rely on them. The Sources may differ as the historians may have got new evidence. They could have used different sources from different books. As the books are published in different times they could have found new evidence and there is more technology to find out more information. B Casement was hung by the British because he was a traitor. There were many reasons why casement was executed. One of them was because he betrayed his country, he asked for help from the enemy he bought guns and ammunition from the Germans to fight Britain.

In source d the newspaper-cutting casement is sent to be a “Notorious Traitor” This is biased as it is a British paper but in reality this seems true. In source e they use a song poem to portray casement. They portray him to look good but it is not a reliable source as ” Twas on a Good Friday Morning all in the good month of May”. 2B Sir Roger David Casement was born in 1864 in Sandycove, near Dublin. He was a dedicated Irish nationalist and he took an active part in the movement of Irish independence. In then died in 1916. In March 1916 the Germans agreed to send 20,000 rifles to help Ireland during Easter Rising, as Casement had asked.

During the Transportation of the rifles, the British intercepted the arms and captured casement who was travelling to Ireland by U-boat. As source A and B tells us. He was called a ” Notorious Traitor ” by a British newspaper in source d. this is biased though but in reality this seems right for what he did. In source e there is some factual information but the day of capture is different in each source “Twas on a Good Friday morning all in the good month of May” This not a fact as Good Friday is not in May. In source d the newspaper article on it is Tuesday but in Source A, B and c they are all different compared to this.

This could be because the books are published in different years more evidence could have been found. The English felt as though casement had stabbed them in the back, as getting help from the enemy. Casement was thought of as a conspirator in a rebellion. Casement was finally arrested in Kerry in Ireland 3 days before the Easter Rising. He was imprisoned in the tower of London. He was found guilty of high treason and then hanged. For the Irish, casement died a martyr. 2C We can not say that source d is reliable as it is an English newspaper. But is reliable from the English point of view at the time.

The daily express was one of the most important newspapers in Britain at the time. The Daily Express would reflect English opinion about casement, but also make the English hate him. The lonely Banna stand is also reliable for Irish republican views about casement. The Republicans regarded him as a hero; the song is reliable for that. 2D I do agree Patrick Pearse. He seems right because the rebels were criticised at the time for doing what they did. He tried to get independence for his country and he stuck to this even though they betrayed the British, they stuck to there rights.

Ei In source G in my opinion it looks as though the Irish rebels did fight heroically as the post office is in ruins. But the artist who painted the picture could of made you think they this it is biased! The artist could have wanted you think like that. The artist was never there so it is not a reliable source. The artist impression could have been from an Irish nationalist point of view. Even though it looks as though the Irish rebels fought heroically it doesn’t actually show fighting in it. The artist may have wanted you to sympathise with the Irish rebels the paragraph of writing in the source also suggests that they fought heroically.

Even though James Connolly had been shot twice he continued to command his soldiers till the end. In source H we can see the post office is in ruins. I would say this is more reliable as it is an actual photograph that was taken at the time. This is definitely more sufficient than the artist’s impression. Ii In source G this shows great destruction but not throughout Dublin. This was hugely hit but we can not see the whole of Dublin. Again with source h this is the day after we can not see the whole of Dublin’s destruction, but a lot of it happened in the post office.