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The Fenian Raids. Mr. Saunders Socials 10. A Long, Bitter History. For years the British and the Irish have been at odds with each other, for various reasons. The Other Act of Union.
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The Fenian Raids Mr. Saunders Socials 10
A Long, Bitter History • For years the British and the Irish have been at odds with each other, for various reasons.
The Other Act of Union • In 1800 the United Kingdom assumed control of Ireland. Prior to this, King Henry VIII had been crowned King of England and Ireland, rather than a single United Kingdom. • Though the Irish parliament resisted, wishing to keep their autonomy and identity, their cause was lost and they were absorbed by the UK. • The United Church of England and Ireland, a new protestant sect was formed. As we know, the Irish are catholic, which makes things even more problematic.
Main Reasons for Conflict • Protestant vs. Catholic • Constant threat of invasion • British attitude of superiority • Lack of sympathy following the Potato Famine
The Irish Americans • Since the Potato Famine there have been many immigrants coming from Ireland to the United States. To this day there is a large population of these people. • The British rule back home was still a big cause for discontent for these immigrants. Many Irish-Americans also immigrated to get away from the British rule.
Enter The Fenians • The organization known as the Fenians was a combination of the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood. • This group was comprised of former soldiers of the Northern Union during the American Civil War. • They believed that if they captured the colonies of British North America they might be able to force Britain into releasing Ireland from its union. They saw Canada as a form of leverage.
Their Plan • The Fenians first had a plan to invade the colony at a number of points.
Niagara Raid • This was the largest of the battles • Approximately 1000-1300 Fenians crossed the border near Buffalo, NY. They were led by an Irish-American deputy by the name of John O’Mahony • The battles were at Fort Erie and Ridgeway, which resulted in six deaths and thirty wounded on the Canadian side. Though not documented, it’s widely known that the Fenians suffered far less injury. • Following their victory, the Fenians turned back, realizing that they had no reinforcements joining them.
New Brunswick • The front at New Brunswick was a bit more interesting, as the Fenians entered Canada from both the border with Maine, and by sea. • Luckily this time, the British had war ships waiting to defend it’s North American colony.
Additional Raids • The Fenians also ventured up the St. Lawrence river, a vital waterway for travel and trade to the Canadians. • This provided the Fenians with the opportunity to invade parts of Canada East, though this proved to be unsuccessful. • By this time their efforts were becoming more and more futile, as the Canadians had caught on to what was happening, and closely guarded their borders thereafter.
Aftermath of the Raids • There were two major effects on the British colonies due to the events surrounding these raids. • The first being that John A. McDonald used the Fenian raids as a reason for confederation. He believed that unifying all of the colonies would strengthen Canada, ensuring something like this would never happen again. • Second, there was a strong resentment towards the American government for not stopping the raids, and there were claims that the American newspapers were encouraging the Fenians.
Thomas D’Arcy McGee • Irish-Canadian politician who would denounce the Fenians, claiming their actions to be too nationalistic for their own good. • Following the confederation of Canada, he was elected to the house of commons. A year later, he was assassinated by a Fenian sympathizer.
Canadian Unity • The Fenian Raids caused an uproar of Canadian nationalism. Would this eventually lead to a single, unified nation?
