I. The British in Ireland Social Darwinism

A. English Control of Ireland 1100s English knights enter Ireland for the purpose of controlling it Many English knights were awarded land as a prize English people will be encouraged to settle there on behalf of England Over time England will attempt to dominate Ireland w/ its laws and Protestantism (Irish are Catholic and will be discriminated)

In the 1690s the Penal Laws, designed to repress the native Irish were introduced. The first ordered that no Catholic could have a gun, pistol, or sword. Over the next 30 years the other Penal laws followed: Irish Catholics were forbidden to receive an education, enter a profession, vote, hold public office, practice their religion, attend Catholic worship, engage in trade or commerce, purchase land, lease land, receive a gift of land or inherit land from a Protestant, rent land worth more than thirty shillings a year, own a horse of greater value than five pounds, be the guardian to a child, educate their own children or send a child abroad to receive an education.

Irish people will resent British control and will rebel against Britain using terrorism (I.R.A. Irish Republican Army) Britain finally granted Southern Ireland Home Rule (right to govern themselves) in 1921 Britain, however, kept Northern Ireland under it’s rule (this is where most Protestants live) aka Ulster 1949, Southern Ireland becomes Republic of Ireland

Northern Ireland is a hot spot for trouble between Irish Catholics and British Protestants today An example of Nationalism- Irish Catholics do not want to be governed by England because they are different. English Protestants in N.I. remain loyal to England

B. Irish Famine 1845-1848 Millions of Irish peasants depended on potatoes as their only source of food Potato crop caught a disease called a blight which wiped out entire crop (most likely came from Americas) 1 million will die of starvation 1.5 million will migrate to U.S., Canada, Australia (largest mass migration of all time!)

Laissez Faire philosophy during the IR prompted little response from the British to help Black ’47- refers to 1847 the year most Irish came to Americas. Thousands also caught diseases or died on ship ride across. Most came on former slave ships. Sharks followed the ships because of frequent meals

C. Social Darwinism Charles Darwin’s proposed philosophy on how to explain the variety of plants and animals on earth Natural Selection- those plants/animals best suited to survive and adapt to their environment will

Gradually over many generations a species may change Also known as the Theory of Evolution Became an explanation for society as well: people who were fittest to survive became rich, the fittest businesses succeed others go bankrupt