Causes of the 1798 Rebellion
The Power of the Protestant Ascendancy
Ireland has been under the rule of the Crown since the sixteenth century.
There was an Irish Parliament in Dublin run by the Protestant Ascendancy. They had limited power over Irtish affairs.
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Protestant Ascendancy were the wealthy land owning minority.
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The Position of the Catholics
Catholics were discriminated against by the penal laws
They could not vote or sit in parliament.
Catholic priests were banned
Catholics could not open or attend schools
Upon a father's death, his land had to be split between all sons
They had to pay tithes
The rules were designed to keep them poor and powerless, and groups such as the Whiteboys attacked protestant landlords.
The position of Presbyterians
They were known as dissenters because they disagreed with the official Protestant Church of Ireland.
They were not allowed to vote or sit in Parlement. They did not face the harshest penal laws.
They made up 10%of the population
The Influence of the American and French Revolutions
They widely reported news about the American and French revolutions
They loved the ideas of Liberty and Equality
How the British dealt with Ireland during these wars also impacted them
During the American Revolution the British left Ireland to run their own affairs because the British were dealing with America.
The British feared an Irish revolution or for France to take over Ireland.