The Fenians and Impact on Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick)

History 2340 Research Essay

History 2340 Research Essay

WORD COUNT 2164

WORD COUNT 2164

Anthony Ward A00312671

This essay discusses The Fenians’ history, motives and the impact they had on the Maritimes area to shape the region known today.

March / 07 / 2011

Anthony Ward A00312671

This essay discusses The Fenians’ history, motives and the impact they had on the Maritimes area to shape the region known today.

March / 07 / 2011

Introduction: Who are the Fenians?

The term Fenianism was first used by the British  in the 1860s referring to any Irish nationalist sentiments, mostly desires of Ireland’s independence from Great Britain.

The idea of an independent Ireland, which was rooted with the historic Potato Famine, spread quickly amongst lower class Irish (labourers, shop keepers, etc…).

James Stephen, a member of a defeated Young Ireland movement in 1848, organized a secret revolutionary society called The Irish Republican Brotherhood (also known as The Fenians).

Under Stephen’s leadership, this new movement spread very rapidly in Ireland, mostly influencing those affected by the depression of the 1860s.

Irish immigrants flooded The United States because of The Famine, also establishing a radical Irish movement there named “The Fenians Brotherhood”, which was created in coordination with Stephen’s society in Ireland. The anti- British attitude of The Fenians found approval with The American public because of the long standing hostility between The Americans and The British.

The rapid growth of this radical movement caused The British to take decisive action: they raided The Brotherhood’s newspaper and arrested its’ staff, they also arrested more members and the leader James Stephen. The Brotherhood was dismantled and Stephen escaped and fled to The...