Easter Uprising of 1916

Easter Uprising of 1916 By Brianna Dicks Due 5-11-11 4th Hour Mrs. Myers and Mr. Flyte What exactly was the Easter Uprising and how did it change Ireland? The Easter Uprising was in April 1916 in Dublin. It was a turning point in modern Irish history, because up until this point Ireland had been completely under Britain’s rule (Trueman). Many works have been written about this: novels, history books, and nonfiction memoirs (see attached list and poem). There had previously been small rebellions in the years 1803, 1848, and 1867 (O’Knowles). Irishmen especially grew to resent the British after the Conscription of 1918. This was an attempt by the British to draft the Irish into their army (Badertscher). Many Irishmen began to believe that they had no right to impose rule upon Ireland. There are several reasons for this. After the Great Potato Famine from 1845 to 1847, many of the Irish had lost all faith in the British government. Many believed the Irish had become second class citizens in the “world’s greatest empire”. Home Rule appeased most people, but only for a short while. Eventually, Irish independence and removal of all aspects of British rule became a main goal (Trueman). Britain’s carelessness when it came to Ireland caused them to fight back and in doing so gain even more morale. When World War I broke out the Irish movement for freedom was hindered and many Irishmen joined the British Army in fighting the Germans. As the fight for independence continued, we find that many did not support the ways of the Fenians or the IRB and therefore did not participate in the rebellion. They were concerned with the political tactics (Trueman). After World War I, nationalists struggled while relying on violence