Act of Union Essay

Assess the causes of the numeral of man and wife of 1800, and consider the ways in which the terms of trades union themselves were intended to solve the apparent problems in Irelands constitutional, semipolitical and religious relationship with England. Your essay must make reference to the relevant document studied in seminar 5. There were several significant causes of the Act of Union between coarse Britain and Ireland in 1800, most nonably, the linked Irishmen rebellion of 1798, along with the French landing at Killala in North Mayo. The unite Irishmen, a primitive mixed religious group, had began a campaign against British rule in Ireland in 1798.This rebellion was pertain around Wexford, Wicklow and a Protestant linen worker rebellion in Antrim. The rebellion was poorly nonionized and coordinated, and more parts of the country were left undisturbed. Although it was yet an otherwise rebellion by the Irish that was defeated, it betting forwarded the long standing ide a that a political, constitutional and military union was needed between the two countries to pr withalt further war, or even worse, for Ireland to become a stepping stone in a French invasion of The British Isles.The worry about a French invasion starting in Ireland was intensify by a sm all told told French landing in north Mayo, that led to two battles, at Castlebar and Ballinamuck. The French landing was requested by Wolfe olf proceedingory sensation, a Protestant who was viewed as the leader of the United Irishmen. Wolfe Tone was influenced by the French and American Revolutions, and passed this influence onto the United Irishmen. The fact that the American Revolution had occurred so belatedly also had another major bearing on the Act of Union. the British parliament did not ask to lose another colony, especially not one this close to home.This most likely would realise cosmos seen as a major weakness by the other European powers of the era. The French revolution, which promised freedom to all religions and races, and equal rights to all men would also have being seen as a threat to George III, the genuine monarch, whos Coronation Oath held him to uphold and secure the Protestant faith. Article Fifth of the Act of Union combined the Church of Ireland and the Church of England into one central Protestant Episcopal Church. It also made the protestant faith the official religion of Ireland.The unity of the churches would also have bred the hope that more of the Catholic legal age in Ireland would be converted. This would have being a vital cause for the union getting voted through the all protestant Irish parliament, as the protestants were outnumbered by Catholics in the general population at a ratio of 311. Should the Act of Union pass, they would be on the opposite side, it would be a 311 protestant majority. On a related topic, Robert Peel had earlier being responsible for the end of several of the penal rightfulnesss, all since the threat o f war began in France.In 1793 Catholics could vote and become lawyers for the commencement time. He also played a part in the repeal of Poynings Law, which allowed the Irish parliament to act out its own laws without influence from London for the first time since the Norman Invasion. However, vitally, he could not hold his brass to repeal the Penal law that stopped Catholics from holding a place in parliament and m whatsoever Irish people would have thought this was the most important, as they could only vote for the entirely protestant government.Pitt had supported the Act Of Union in 1800, but had originally planned to follow it with more distant reaching ideas, such as Catholic emancipation. However George III, after signing the Act of Union into law in August 1800, refused to support full Catholic emancipation on the basis that it would be inappropriate to his Coronation Oath. While the Act of Union was defeated the first time in the Irish parliament, it was passed on the assist time of as superpower. Certain peerages, pensions and certain honors were offered to Irish politicians and Irish critics in return for voting for the act in the second time of asking.The first attempt to pass the law was beaten 109 votes against to 104 votes for, but, on the second time of asking in 1800, the results showed 150 for, compared to 115 against. Also, since the repeal of Poynings law, the Irish had being in give of their own finances, and had bankrupt the country. When much the same thing had happened to Scotland in the 17th century, a Union with Britain had helped the economical overcome their financial difficulties. The Act of Union was intended to solve many of Irelands problems in different ways.Article first stated that Ireland and Britain would be united into one Kingdom, by the Name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This essentially made Ireland a sister kingdom to Britain, with the same laws, religion and parliament. However as time sh owed, these sister kingdoms were not treated equally, with very little worry being given to the Great paucity of 1845-49. Although it may initially have being seen to calm some insurgency in Ireland, it was not a suitable long-term arrangement unless great measures were taken to assimilate the large Catholic majority.These measures were not taken, and Catholic Ireland still felt like it was being given the short straw without emancipation. Article Second but stated that the continuation of the Imperial Crown shall continue limited and settled in the same mien as the Succession to the Imperial Crown of the said Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. This was to ensure that a protestant was always going to be in power as a monarch in Great Britain, and that the invigorated Union with Ireland would not have an influence on the process of picking a new king or queen.The third clause was perhaps the most important in terms of change, as it was the bind that fully combined the two p arliaments into a single entity. This was the most influential article, as it caused many of the upper berth class representatives that Ireland would have to move out of Dublin and over to London, to be closer to political affairs. This caused a decline in the importance of Dublin as a major European city, and shifted most of the influential Irish people out of the country.It may also have lead to the idea of Absentee landlords, another thing that was seen by the Irish as a cause of the Great Famine. Article Fourth was simply abstruse in the representation of Ireland in the new parliament. The election of 28 Electoral Lords for life would have guaranteed a continuation of protestant ascendancy in the British House of Lords. This would not have went well with the Catholic majority of Ireland as they would have zero representation in the House of Lords, which had the ability to veto any laws passed by the House of Commons.Any chance of a law hat passed a pro-Catholic law would have being immediately put down by the protestant powers in the House of Lords, so even if George III did not veto the hopes for Catholic emancipation then the House of Lords would surely have. The 8th article was a constitutional article that ensured the continuation of all laws from before the act, in both Britain and Ireland. It stated That all Laws in force at the time of the Union, and all the Courts of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within the various(prenominal) Kingdoms, shall remain as now by Law established within the sameThis was a natural rubber mechanism to prevent any problems with the transition between separate and united kingdoms. If this article had not being put in place then, theoretically the parliament in London would have had to decree new laws that could potentially damage the political and hostile situation in Ireland. As you can see, the Act of Union was hoped to be a permanent solution to the problems in Ireland, and planned to consolidate the British Isles beneath one rulership.The Articles in the Act of Union attempted to promote the protestant faith, in particular the Anglican faith, in Ireland, and in the long term hoped to transform the rebellious Catholic majority into equal citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Although it was unsuccessful in the long run, it was a historic event that worked in other parts of the empire, such as Scotland.