The Land League and the Land War

Agricultural Depression 1877-9 poor harvests Reappearance of

famine in the west Slump in food prices

following import of cheap American grain

Fewer jobs in England for migratory workers

Depression (contd) Drastic fall in farmers’ incomes They demanded reduction or remittance of

rents

Landlords’ response

The Land War What was needed was popular agrarian

movement directed against landlords Organisation and leadership on national scale

was required

Michael Davitt His family had been

evicted when he was a child

Had been brought up in England where he worked in cotton mills

Imprisoned for Fenian activity in England

Believed in cooperation with constitutional nationalists

Land War Davitt believed

agrarian war could lead to both land reform and constitutional change

Started campaign of agitation in Mayo

Davitt enlisted help of Parnell

The New Departure

The New Departure June 1879 Parnell: constitutional nationalism Devoy: Revolutionary nationalism Davitt: agrarian nationalism The fusing into one national movement of all

the elements of Irish protest and grievance

Land War or Land Bill?

The Land League Formed Oct 1879 “Land for the people!” Parnell as president Irish-American funding

Parnell’s motives The 3 Fs Not a radical Sympathetic to

landlords Believed support for

agrarian movement would give leverage to Home Rulers in Westminster

contd Believed that agitation

would bring land reform leading to better tenant/landlord relations and landlords would then support Home Rule

Conservative aim of winning landlords to nationalist side rather than destroying them

Tactics of the Land League: Boycotting

Tactics Help for those who

were evicted Urged rent strikes Boycotting of both

landlords and those who took over a farm where the previous tenants had been evicted

Land War In spite of leaders’ commitment to peaceful

protest there were many outrages and murders Difficulty for Parnell of disassociating

himself from the violence of which he disapproved