3rd Year: Irish Independence: The War of Independence, the Treaty & the Civil War

The Irish negotiating team who signed the Treaty.
Michael Collins is in the centre, with his head down.
Picture from stpaulscollege.ie

Main Article: The Struggle for Independence

By 1918, Home Rule had been forgotten as people in Ireland started campaigning for independence from Britain. Sinn Féin had become a republican party and after their huge win in the 1918 general election they refused to take their seats in Westminster and instead set up the first Dáil Éireann on 21 January 1919. Soon after, the War of Independence broke out. By 1921, the British government was negotiating with the Dáil. The President of the Dáil, Éamon de Valera, sent a team led by Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins to London to strike an agreement with Britain.

Those negotiations ended with the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which gave most of Ireland independence as an Irish Free State but it would remain in the British Commonwealth. Six counties in Ulster were to remain in the UK - they became known as Northern Ireland. TDs in Dáil Éireann would still have to take an oath of alliegance to the King, and Britain would stay in control of three Irish ports (Berehaven, Lough Swilly and Cóbh).

Éamon de Valera, President of the Dáil.
He opposed the Treaty.

The Treaty caused a split in the Dáil. Most TDs voted in favour it and it was passed in 1922. But the disagreements over the conditions spilled over to the whole country. Soon, not long after the War of Independence had ended, a civil war had broken out: Sinn Féin, the IRA and the Irish people had each split into "pro-Treaty" or "anti-Treaty" groups, and they fought each other for a year. Eventually, after much death and destruction - including the death of Michael Collins - a truce was called. The Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin now led the government, and it had to rebuild a new Irish free state which had just experienced two very destructive wars. The story of modern Ireland was only beginning.

Continue to Cumann na nGaedheal

Go back to Irish Independence or Third Year

• Who was involved in the War of Independence? Where did the first battle occur?
• Who were the Black and Tans? What were the Flying Columns? What was the Squad?
• Who was Terence McSwiney and what did he do?
• What were the major events of the War of Independence?
• The terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
• The reasons for the civil war.
• The main events of the civil war.
• The results of the civil war.

Click here for exam questions you can be asked about this topic. (Higher and Ordinary)

PEOPLE IN HISTORY (HL and OL)

A named leader in the struggle for Irish independence, 1900-21
(2011 HL, 2007 HL)

A person involved in the struggle for Irish independence, 1900-21
(2012 OL, 2008 OL)

A Pro-Treaty poster. Click on it to read it. © National Library of Ireland

An Anti-Treaty poster. Click on it to read it. From Irish Election Literature

Compare the two posters. What are they each saying? What are they each promising? 

Both are types of propaganda. Do you think they're effective?

Watch out for bias, prejudice and propaganda!

The War of Independence
BBC History: The Anglo-Irish War
The BBC have a feature on the War of Independence (also known as the Anglo-Irish War).

The War of Independence and Partition
This is an overview of the war and its aftermath.

Wikipedia: Timeline of the War of Independence
This is a detailed timeline of the events of the entire War of Independence. Read A Note on Wikipedia. 
 
Cork City Council: The Burning of Cork
Patrick Street in Cork was destroyed by the Black and Tans. Read about it here.

Cork City Council: The Death of Terence McSwiney
Terence McSwiney was the Lord Mayor of Cork in 1920. He was imprisoned and went on hunger strike. He died on 25 October 1920.

An Phoblacht: Soloheadbeg
Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD wrote an article about Soloheadbeg in 'An Phoblacht' (the Sinn Féin newsletter) on the 80th anniversary of the ambush in 1999. This is an article, so remember to read it like a historian would.

New York Times article on the War of Independence
The War of Independence made headlines all over the world. Read about the burning of the Custom House in Dublin here. (opens as a PDF)

The Independent (UK): The Black and Tans
There was a controversy in 2006 when Ben and Jerry's named one of their ice-creams "Black and Tan". Here is an article talking about the Black and Tans in response to that controversy. This is an article, so remember to read it like a historian would.

Cork's War of Independence
This site has detailed information about the War of Independence as it was fought in Cork. Ambushes could happen in any town in any part of the country. I learned from this site that the IRA ambushed and killed RIC soldiers in my home town of Glanmire. 


The Anglo-Irish Treaty
National Archives: The Treaty Exhibition
The National Archives (based in Dublin) have a site dedicated to the Anglo-Irish Treaty (which had actually sat in a box, unopened for decades, at the Department of An Taoiseach until 2002). View the photo gallery, look at the timeline, and read the reflections and overviews of what happened.

The Treaty Debates
The full transcripts of the First Dáil's debates on the Treaty are available here. They're quite a long read, but you might be interested to have a look.

Re-enactment of a Michael Collins speech in the Treaty Debates (video)
UCC held a re-enactment of the Treaty Debates. Here, a UCC student re-enacts a speech given by Collins justifying the Treaty. 

Irish Political Maps: The Anglo-Irish Treaty
On this site, which is also mine, you can view maps of how the TDs of the First Dáil voted on the Treaty.


The Civil War
Wikipedia: Timeline of the Civil War
Again, Wikipedia have a detailed timeline. Read A Note on Wikipedia.

The Civil War: A Tipperary Connection
This site gives a brief overview of the Civil War, as well as the events which took place in Tipperary. 

Memorabilia from the Civil War
This site has a lot of pictures of primary source material from the Civil War, from the constitution of the new Free State to newspapers.

3rd Year: Irish Independence: The Easter 1916 Rising

A drawing of Pearse reading the Proclamation outside the GPO.
Remember, pictures can have the same problems as other sources.

Main Page: The Struggle for Independence

By 1916, nationalist groups such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) were unsatisfied with the slow progress of the Home Rule movement, and instead wanted an independent Irish republic. In that year, the IRB Military Council planned uprisings - similar to what Wolfe Tone had planned over a hundred years earlier - to defeat British rule in Ireland.

Guns were smuggled in to Ireland from Germany, and the IRB tried to recruit Eoin MacNeill's Irish Volunteers to help them. Plans started to go wrong when the gun-running ship, the Aud, sunk at Cork harbour and MacNeill learned that the IRB had tricked him into thinking the British were planning to clamp down on the Volunteers. Because of this, many of the planned risings had to be cancelled. Only one would go ahead, in Dublin.

During Easter week, 1916, IRB men and some Volunteers took over the GPO, the Four Courts, Jacobs' Factory and Boland's Mill, all in Dublin city. One of the Rising's leaders, Pádraig Pearse, proclaimed the Irish Republic. Although the Rising was defeated by the British after a few days, it (and the execution of its leaders) helped to turn the Irish people away from Home Rule and towards the idea of full independence.

Everything had changed, so what was going to happen next?

Continue to the War of Independence, Anglo-Irish Treaty & Civil War

• Who was involved in the Rising?
• Why was there a Rising?
• What was the plan? (Casement and the guns, MacNeill and the Castle Document)
• Where did the Rising take place?
• How did the British respond?
• What was the aftermath of the Rising? (martial law, executions)
• What did Sinn Féin do?
• What happened in the 1918 general election?

Click here for exam questions you can be asked about this topic. (Higher and Ordinary)

The Rising is commemorated outside the GPO every year.
Photo from thejournal.ie

Watch out for bias, prejudice and propaganda!

Proclamation of the Irish Republic (primary source)
A hi-res image of the proclamation of the republic read by Pádraig Pearse. Although many copies were printed, only a small few remain today. They are either on display in museums (one is in Leinster House) or in private collections.

The Irish Times: 1916 Rising
The Irish Times created a commemorative site on the 1916 Rising for its 90th anniversary in 2006. It has day-by-day accounts of the Rising, write-ups about its legacy and effects, and a piece on how the Irish Times in 1916 covered the events as they were happening.

BBC History: 1916 Rising
BBC History also has a page all about the Rising, with profiles of the leaders, photo galleries featuring a lot of Home Rule propaganda posters, written and audio witness accounts by people who were either a part of it or were in Dublin while it happened, an archive of different newspaper reports, and a reflection by former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, whose parents were in the GPO.

National Library of Ireland: 1916 Rising
The NLI has a special feature on the Rising which goes into great detail about it. It's full of primary sources, which you can click on and make bigger and easier to read. The main text on the site might be too small for, so hold down Ctrl and + to make it bigger. 

1916 Rebellion Walking Tour
The walking tour operates in Dublin. Their website has information about it, as well as plenty of information on the background of the Rising itself.  

List of participants in the 1916 Rising
This is simply a list of the people involved in the 1916 Rising, in each of the buildings that were occupied. You can find a few names that will become important later, such as Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, W. T. Cosgrave and Sean Lemass.

The 1918 General Election
Here is a map showing how well Sinn Féin did in the 1918 general election, with some information on the election itself and the impact of it. 

3rd Year: Irish Independence: The Home Rule Crisis

John Redmond, leader of
the "Home Rule" Party

Main Page: The Struggle for Independence

By the end of the 19th century (which you studied last year), Irish politicians were campaigning for Home Rule for Ireland. This would have given Ireland control over its internal affairs, while Britain would remain in charge of external affairs such as foreign policy. In 1905, the Sinn Féin party was founded by Arthur Griffith. He proposed a "dual monarchy" - the British King would also be a separate King of Ireland. Most people in Ireland supported the idea of Home Rule, and after several attempts by sympathetic British governments, it was finally promised in 1914...

...but then World War I broke out, and everything was put on hold. Meanwhile, some people in Ireland were turning to a new idea. Instead of just Home Rule, they wanted Ireland to be completely independent of Britain. They wanted a republic. Not to mention that quite a lot of people, especially in Ulster, wanted Ireland to stay inside the United Kingdom, and vowed to fight Home Rule at any cost.

With the war dragging on, and people becoming impatient, what was going to happen?

Continue to The Easter 1916 Rising

• How to explain nationalism and unionism.
• Redmond and Home Rule.
• The Labour movement and the 1913 Lock-Out.
• How the Home Rule bill was passed.
• Why unionists were opposed to Home Rule.
• Carson and the Solemn League and Covenant.
• Why Redmond encouraged Irish people to fight in World War I.

Click here for exam questions you can be asked about this topic. (Higher and Ordinary)

PEOPLE IN HISTORY (HL and OL)

Edward Carson, leader of the Irish Unionist Party

A Unionist living in Ulster around 1912-14

This question hasn't been asked recently in an exam, but that doesn't mean it can't be next time.

• This is a first person question, so introduce yourself: "I am a unionist living in Belfast...". What do you believe Ireland should be? Be a member of the Unionist Party!

• Once that's done, talk about why you oppose Home Rule. Trade, land, and religion would be your three main reasons here. Explain them.

• On the subject of religion, don't forget that Home Rule is Rome Rule. Explain what this means.

• Since you feel so strongly about this, you are helping to organise resistance to the Home Rule bill. You went to Carson's demonstration and you've also signed the Ulster Covenant. Explain each of these things.

• Next, you've joined the Ulster Volunteer Force. What is that? Why did you join? Do the nationalists have a similar group? Maybe you've been to Larne. What's going on there?

• War has broken out in Europe so everything is on hold. Here you can talk about how you're going to fight in the war for Britain. Why did unionists do that?

So, in short...

1. Introduce yourself and explain your beliefs.
2. Talk about why you oppose Home Rule.
3. Home Rule is Rome Rule. What does that mean?
4. Talk about organising resistance: Carson's demonstrations, the Ulster Covenant.
5. Talk about joining the Ulster Volunteer Force.
6. Finish up by talking about going to fight in Europe for Britain.

Don't...

• write about Carson or Craig. You're not writing about a leader, you're writing about a person who follows them.
• write about anything irrelevant (unimportant): for example, don't give too much information about what the nationalists are doing. You're writing as a unionist, so that's where your focus should be.

Watch out for bias, prejudice and propaganda!

The Home Rule Crisis 1910-14 
This page has information on the Home Rule Crisis from the Unionists' point of view. It has short biographies of Edward Carson and James Craig, and has information on the key events of the crisis, such as the Parliament Act, the Ulster Covenant and the outbreak of World War I.

Home Rule and Ireland 
This page looks at how the Home Rule campaign played out in the House of Commons in Westminster (the British parliament).

BBC History: Irish Home Rule 
This page is bigger than the other two, but has a lot of background information which isn't part of the course but might still be of interest to you. Information is divided into headings, such as Origins of the Movement, Optimistic Predictions and Cultural Battlegrounds (how the Unionists feared that Home Rule would be Rome Rule).

The Labour Party: Centenary
As the Labour Party celebrates its centenary (100th anniversary) in 2012, it has launched a website dedicated to it. This website has the story of the Labour Party, an interactive timeline of its history, videos, and other features. Keep in mind that this is a group writing about its own history, so beware of bias.

Second Year: From Farm to Factory (The Industrial Revolution)

A factory in England during the Industrial Revolution.

Have you read or seen Oliver Twist? What about A Christmas Carol? Even if you haven't you've probably heard of Scrooge. Those stories were written in Victorian England. Have you heard of Queen Victoria? Until Elizabeth II, she was the longest serving British monarch (king or queen) in history. "Victorian" means they came from the time she was Queen.

The Victorian era in Britain came in the middle of what's called the Industrial Revolution. This was the event in history which transformed Britain (and some of Europe) from the feudal system which has stayed since the Middle Ages to the kind of society we would recognise now: big towns and cities, people working in factories, machines making jobs easier... this all began with the Industrial Revolution.

Your study of the Industrial Revolution is divided in two: First you study Industrial England, where you learn about the new inventions and developments. The second is Rural Ireland, which didn't have an Industrial Revolution and whose people remained either on farms or in poverty. The Great Famine struck there during Queen Victoria's reign, and that is the last topic you learn about in Second Year History. Once you start Third Year, it's on to Ireland's attempts to gain independence from Britain, something many people wanted after the devastation of the Famine.

Click on the links below to get the section you want:

or go back to Second Year

What is History?

Junior Cert History > First Year > Introduction

The very first question you'll be asked at the very start of First Year is What is History? History is the study of the past, and over the next three years (and maybe more!) you'll study how we study the past, why we study the past and what we have learned from studying the past.

Your History course will take you from the Stone Age in Ireland through to the Middle Ages (where most of our castle ruins come from), to the Plantations when England started to take control over Ireland to the 20th century when Ireland finally gained independence. You'll look at Ancient Rome and move forward to the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, the Age of Revolutions, and finally the two World Wars and what came after them.

You'll learn about Romans, knights, soldiers and ordinary people, and you'll learn about famous figures such as Christopher Columbus, Queen Elizabeth I, Adolf Hitler and John F. Kennedy.

Most importantly, you'll learn why the world is as it is, and how it (and we) got there - and that journey is far from over!

However, before you learn any of this, you must learn some basics...

Next Stop: Archaeology

Here's a checklist to help you revise this section.

• What is history? 
•  History is the study of the past, using...

• Primary Sources and Secondary Sources:
• You must be able to tell the difference between a primary source and a secondary source, and give an example of each.

• Types of Sources:
• There are three main types: written, visual and oral. You must be able to give examples of all three.

• Bias, Prejudice and Propaganda:
• These are the most common problems with sources. You must be able to explain each one, and name some other problems that can come up when looking at sources.

• Chronology:
• Chronology is the study of time. When we look at years in History, some are marked BC and others are marked AD. What do we mean by this? Which comes first? And just what do we mean by prehistory?

SHORT QUESTIONS
Ordinary Level:
1.   Which date is earlier: 96 BC or 90 AD? (2012 OL)

2.   Give one reason why the information in historical documents can be sometimes incorrect.
      (2012 OL, 2010 OL)

3.   Explain what is meant by the initials B.C. in the year 178 B.C. (2015 OL)

4.   Explain what is meant by a primary source. (2008 OL)

Higher Level:
1.   Explain one of the following terms used by historians: (2011 HL)
              Propaganda;       Archive;       Bias.

2.   What is a secondary source? Give an example. (2015 HL, 2010 HL, 2007 HL)

3.   What do historians mean by the term Prehistory? (2009 HL)

A Nazi propaganda poster of Hitler. What kind of message do you think the Nazis are trying to give about Hitler in this poster?

Captain America beating up Hitler in a WWII-era comic. Is this a kind of propaganda just like the poster? Why do you think so? What message is it giving?

The National Archives Census Records (1901 and 1911)
You'll learn in this chapter that census records are a primary source. The Irish National Archives have put the entire records for the 1901 census and the 1911 census online, where you can search them.

Do you know where your grandparents or great-grandparents were living back then? Have a look, you might find them!

Irish Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of family history. Have you ever made a family tree? The National Archives can help you for 1901 and 1911, and this site can help you for the 19th century. It has church baptismal and marriage records (Catholic and Church of Ireland), and you could find some ancestors here.

At the moment it only covers Cork, Kerry, Dublin and Carlow, but the people behind the site are working to add other areas.

Libraries in Ireland
Your nearest library has a lot of stories and kids' books, but it also has history books! Books about history aren't always big heavy books with tiny writing inside them, there are a lot geared towards younger people - especially the Horrible Histories series. Have a look at your library, see what you might find!

City libraries have newspaper collections. You can view old newspapers from years ago in big hardbound book collections, or you can view even older newspapers on microfilm. They can be useful if you're trying to find an old birth or death notice for someone in your family.

History Timelines
A timeline isn't just that new thing Facebook introduced recently. The things you learn about in History could take place over just a few years (e.g. World War II 1939 - 1945) or centuries (e.g. the Middle Ages, 5th century - 15th century). If you want to imagine such a long time in your head, writing is as a timeline can help. This site has timelines for events which have taken place throughout history. It might be useful to you studying different chapters later.

Horrible Histories
I mentioned them earlier, but Horrible Histories are a great book and TV series if you're interested in anything to do with History. Keep an eye out for it!

The Exams

Junior Cert Higher Level

Junior Cert Ordinary Level

Leaving Cert Higher Level

Leaving Cert Ordinary Level

Second Year: From Farm to Factory: Rural Ireland

The Irish Famine memorial in Dublin city.

The last part of the Second Year course brings us back to Ireland, where exciting things will be happening at the start of Third Year. Since the 1798 rebellion, Ireland was made a part of the UK. Irish MPs sat in the House of Commons in Westminster. Some of them wanted to bring Ireland back out of the UK.

Ireland didn't experience the Industrial Revolution the same way Britain did. Urbanisation and industry came to Ulster, but the rest of Ireland remained rural, with millions of people living in poverty. The population of Ireland by 1840 was 8.2 million. Today, 6.3 million people live on the island.

In the 1840s, an event happened which turned public opinion against the British and encouraged new groups seeking to take Ireland out of the UK. You may have learned about this event before in primary school: The Great Famine.

The first part of this section, Industrial England, is here.

Go back to Second Year

Ordinary Level students should focus on the Special Topic, which is in *asterisks*.

• Life in rural Ireland before the famine (types of farmers, landlords and labourers)

• Poverty and the workhouses.

• The causes of the Great Famine.

• Help for the Famine victims (Indian corn, soup kitchens, workhouses)

• The results of the Famine.

• *Contrasting industrial England with rural Ireland. (People in History)*

Click here for advice and tips on answering exam questions.

SHORT QUESTIONS (HL and OL)

1. Give two consequences for Ireland of the Great Famine. (2015 HL, 2012 HL, 2008 HL)

2. Mention one action taken by the British government to deal with the Great Famine of the 1840s.
    (2009 HL)

3. What was the 'Blight' in 1840s Ireland? (2007 HL)

4. Choose one of the following terms from the Great Famine and explain it: (2012 OL)
              Eviction;       Charity;       Blight

5. Why were Irish people in such fear of living in the Workhouse? (2011 OL)

6. Give one reason why so many people died during the Great Famine. (2009 OL)



SOURCE QUESTION (HL)

Q.5C, 2006 HL

Write an account of one of the following topics:    (12)

(i)     The impact of the Famine on Irish society after 1850.
(ii)    The problems faced by Irish emigrants abroad after the Famine.
(iii)   Contrasting lifestyles in rural Ireland and industrial England around 1850.




PEOPLE IN HISTORY (HL and OL)

See the first part of this section, Industrial England, for People in History questions.

The Jeanie Johnston replica at sail outside Dublin.
Photo from jeaniejohnston.ie

Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum
The Jeanie Johnston was one of the coffin ships which carried Irish people to other countries. A replica of it sits in Dublin, where it can be toured by the public. It also serves as a Famine museum.

The Irish Potato Famine
This Flash-based interactive site is designed for kids, but still has a lot of interesting information about life during the Famine.

Overview of the Great Famine
The History Learning site has the story of the Famine here.

Potato Blight
Learn about the disease that killed the potato crops here.

Coffin Ships
Learn more about the so-called "coffin ships" which transported emigrants to America and elsewhere.

People in History: A worker in an English city in 1850

Children queuing outside a soup kitchen in Manchester
in the 19th century.

Main page: Industrial England

This is an unusual question which rarely appears, but it could come up as an option again at any time. It's not quite the same as the mine/factory worker question, it's more of a mix between the working conditions and the living conditions in Industrial Revolution England. With that in mind, it's a very easy question to prepare for, and this is how you could do it.

• For this type of question, it's easier to say you're a factory worker, so introduce yourself. "I work in a textile factory in Manchester...".

• Talk about your working conditions. It's the same information you'd give if you were answering the mine/factory worker question, but you might go into less detail than before. A line about your jobs, a line about the dangerous conditions, and a few lines about new laws to improve the conditions will do.

• Now, once work is done, talk about the place in which you live. How has the city grown? Why?

• What kind of house do you live in? Describe the conditions. Do your children get an education?

• What do you do for leisure? You don't have much time off work, but what do you do during it?

• How is your health? Disease was widespread, so you'll need to talk about that and the efforts taken to improve public health.

• Finish up with a few lines on the other improvements being made in your town (main streets being paved, street cleaning, improved sewage, etc.). You might think there's a bright future ahead!

So, in short...

1. Introduce yourself as a textile factory worker.
2. Talk about your working conditions (roughly 3-4 points).
3. How has the city grown?
4. What kind of house do you live in? How do your family live?
5. What do you do for leisure?
6. Health conditions and disease in the town.
7. Improvements in public health and elsewhere.

 
Don't...

• talk in third-person. This is a first person answer. (e.g. I am, I will...)
• name a term (e.g. vaccine or urbanisation) and not explain what it means. You will lose marks if you don't.
• talk about anything irrelevant (e.g. the weather). You will get no marks for irrelevant information.

People in History: A factory/mine owner during the Industrial Revolution

Robert Owen was a factory owner who wanted
good conditions for his workers.

Main page: Industrial England

This question is simply the other form of the "factory/mine worker" question. You'll be talking about the same things, just from a different point of view.

• Introduce yourself. "I am the owner of a mine/textile factory in Manchester..." It's important that you name the type of factory.

• Who do you employ? What are their jobs?

• Why are women and children better to employ than men?

• What kind of work is done in your factory/mine? (trappers, spinners, scavengers, etc,)

• What rules must the workers obey? What are their punishments for breaking them?

• The children you employ are complaining. What are they complaining about? What do you think you should do? (This is where you get to decide whether to be mean or kind)

• Talk about Robert Owen. What does he do for his workers? Why? What do you think of this?

• What laws are being introduced to improve working conditions? Give some examples and talk about what problems they might be giving you (e.g. not allowed to make children work for more than 12 hours a day). Either you agree with this, or you think the government are out to ruin you!

So, in short...

1. Introduce yourself and state whether you're a mine or a factory owner.
2. Who you employ, and why women and children are better to employ than men.
3. What kind of work must they do?
4. The rules they must obey and the punishments if they don't.
5. Child workers complaining - what do you do?
6. Robert Owen and his reforms.
7. New laws to make working conditions better for workers.

Don't...

• talk in third-person. This is a first person answer. (e.g. I am, I will...)
• name a term (e.g. Davy's safety lamp or ventilation shaft) and not explain what it means. You will lose marks if you don't.
• talk about anything irrelevant (e.g. the weather). You will get no marks for irrelevant information.

People in History: A factory/mine worker during the Industrial Revolution

A young girl working in a factory.

Main page: Industrial England

In this section, you'll learn about the dangerous working conditions faced by the men, women and children who worked in factories and mines in Industrial Revolution England. With no laws about safety or child labour, many people died at very young ages from accidents at work.

The factory/mine worker is a very common People in History question, and an easy one to prepare for. You only have to pick one or the other - factory workers or mine workers - and focus on learning that one. Both are quite similar anyway, and the advice below applies equally to both of them.

The answer below is written as a male. If you want to write as a female, you may need to switch around some of the points, but they are all still relevant.

• Introduce yourself. "I am a factory/mine worker in Manchester." Why is your factory/mine important? If you're in a factory, say what kind of factory it is.

• Talk about your jobs. When did you start work? What kind of work are you expected to do? (if you're in a mine, talk about being a trapper, then a hauler, etc. If you're in a factory, talk about working with dangerous machines, and the rules you have to obey.

• If you're writing as a boy or man, talk about the kind of work girls and women must do. If you're a girl, mention this in Point #2.

• What are the conditions like? How much are you paid? What kind of accidents happen? How have people died?

• What are the biggest dangers? Have there been any safety measures brought in?

• Finish up by talking about improvements. If you're a mine worker, this will be where you talk about the Mine Acts. If you're a factory worker, talk about how some factory owners are kind, and are treating their workers better.

So, in short...

A mine worker in the Industrial Revolution.

1. Introduce yourself and your type of work.
2. Your jobs in the factory/mine.
3. The work of girls and women.
4. The working conditions (pay, accidents, deaths).
5. The biggest dangers of working there, and any safety measures there might be.
6. Any improvements that are happening for workers in factories or mines.

Don't...

• talk in third-person. This is a first person answer. (e.g. I am, I will...)
• name a term (e.g. Davy's safety lamp or ventilation shaft) and not explain what it means. You will lose marks if you don't.
• talk about anything irrelevant (e.g. the weather). You will get no marks for irrelevant information.

People in History: A named leader in a revolution - Wolfe Tone

Wolfe Tone's grave is open to the public outside Sallins, Co. Kildare.

Main page: The 1798 Irish Rebellion

You might have heard of a traditional Irish music group called The Wolfe Tones. They took their name from this man, the founder of the United Irishmen and leader of the 1798 rebellion.

Wolfe Tone would inspire later revolutionary leaders in Ireland: from Robert Emmett in 1803 to Pádraig Pearse in 1916.

So, if he's your choice for this People in History question, what would you write?

• Name and introduce the leader. This is a third-person answer, so you start with "Wolfe Tone was..."

• Once that's done, talk about the United Irishmen. Why did he set it up? What were its aims? How was a revolution going to happen?

• Next, talk about how Tone got help from the French. What was his plan?

• What happened to the other leaders?

• Now, talk about the uprisings. Wexford, Ulster, and Connacht. What happened? Did they succeed or fail?

• What happened to Tone once the uprisings had ended?

So, in short...

1. Name and introduce Wolfe Tone.
2. The United Irishmen - aims.
3. Tone getting help from the French.
4. The arrest of the other leaders.
5. The uprisings.
6. Tone's arrest and execution 

Don't...

• write in the first person, you're talking about a named person so it's in third person. (He was... etc.)
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant)

People in History: A named leader in a revolution - Robespierre

Maximilien Robespierre. If you annoyed him,
he'd behead you.

Main page: The French Revolution

The most important figure you'll learn about in the French Revolution (besides King Louis and Marie Antoinette) is Maximilien Robespierre, the man who led the Committee of Public Safety after the revolution. His time in power is known as the Reign of Terror, because it resulted in hundreds of people being executed on suspicion of being against the revolution.

After almost a year, the people of Paris finally overthrew Robespierre and executed him the same way he had executed others - by guillotine.

• Name and introduce the leader. This is a third-person answer, so you start with "Robespierre was..."

• Talk about his background in the revolution. What did he think of the Divine Right of Kings? What was his role in the National Assembly? Who supported him?

• What did he think of King Louis? What did he want to do to the king?

• Robespierre was very popular by now. Don't forget to mention his nickname - "The Incorruptible". Why was this his nickname?

• Now you can mention the Committee of Public Safety. What was it? What work did it do?

• Next, the Reign of Terror. Why did he pass the Law of Suspects? What did it allow him to do? What was the result?

• France was at war with Austria. What did Robespierre do to make France victorious?

• Finally, talk about his downfall. How did he become unpopular? What happened to him?

So, in short...

1. Name and introduce Robespierre.
2. His background in the revolution.
3. What he wanted to do to King Louis.
4. His nickname - "The Incorruptible".
5. The Committee of Public Safety.
6. The Reign of Terror.
7. War with Austria.
8. His downfall.

Don't...

• write in the first person, you're talking about a named person so it's in third person. (He was... etc.)
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant)

People in History: A supporter of a named revolutionary leader

Main page: 
The American Revolution 
The French Revolution
The Irish 1798 Rebellion

Sometimes asked as: "A person fighting in a revolution (in France, Ireland or America) during the Age of Revolutions".
 

Soldiers fighting in Ireland in 1798.

This People in History question might seem tricky, but it's actually quite easy. You've probably picked one of the three revolutions (America, France or Ireland) you're going to write your People in History answer on. So, either Washington, Robespierre or Wolfe Tone. To write as a supporter of any of those men, just follow the same outline as if you were writing about them, keeping these few points in mind:

• If you're writing about a supporter or a person fighting then you're writing in the first-person (I, me, etc.). 

• You'll still talk about your leader's life as if you were answering the question about him, but you'd include more relevant information about why you are rebelling. 

• If you're a Washington supporter, talk about the bad conditions in Valley Forge.
• If you're a Robespierre supporter, talk about how frightening life is under the Reign of Terror (and why).
• If you're a Tone supporter, you can be fighting in Wexford or with Humbert.

• Keep in mind that you should only include relevant (important) information, otherwise you'll lose marks.

People in History: A named leader in a revolution - George Washington

Washington and his troops at Valley Forge.

Main page: The American Revolution

Even before Second Year, you most likely knew who George Washington is. Today, Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States. George Washington was the very first.

Washington's face can be found on the $1 bill, on Mount Rushmore in the US, and in statues and paintings across America. Washington DC is named after him. However, none of that is any good to you in a People in History answer because it has nothing to do with his time as the leader of the American Revolution.

Washington is usually the most popular choice for the "revolutionary leader" People in History question. How would you go about answering it?

• Name and introduce your leader. This is a third-person answer, so you start with "George Washington was born in..."

• What did he do before the Revolution? Where did he live? What was his job?

• The Revolution begins: what was Washington's role in it? He was commander-in-chief, so this is a good place to talk about the battles he was involved in - New York, Philadelphia, Saratoga, Princeton, Trenton and Delaware.

• What happened during the Winter of 1777-8? Talk about the conditions at Valley Forge and how Washington stayed with his men.

• Something happened to change the Americans' luck. What was it? How was Washington able to defeat the British?

• What happened to Washington after the war?

• Finish up with a line on his later life and death.

So, in short...

1. Name and introduce Washington.
2. What he did before the Revolution.
3. What he did during the Revolution: the main battles.
4. His time at Valley Forge.
5. The arrival of the French.
6. Washington's new role after the war.
7. Later life and death.

Don't...

• write in the first person, you're talking about a named person so it's in third person. (He was... etc.)
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant).

Second Year: The Age of Revolutions

The flags of the three revolutions.

So far in Second Year you've learned about important things that happened in Europe since the Middle Ages, things which changed the world. As you go further on through time, you get to some of the most important times in Europe (and elsewhere) in the last few hundred years: the Age of Revolutions.

You'll study three revolutions: America, France, and the failed Irish rebellion of 1798. To keep things simple, I've given each of them their own page. They each share questions on exams (you'll be asked to answer a question on either America or France or Ireland) and the same People in History question applies to all three.

Continue to the Industrial Revolution

Go back to Second Year 

Get the revolution you want by clicking on the link.

America was colonised by Britain in the 17th century, but unfair rules led the colonists to revolt and form their own country: the United States of America.

The American revolution inspired the French people, who were sick of the royalty living in wealth and luxury while the poor suffered, to turn against the king and queen and have their own revolution. Some of them lost their heads though...

By 1798, the spirit of revolution had reached Ireland. But was it going to be successful?

People in History: A native Irish landowner who lost land in a named plantation

The native Irish in the 1500s. Albrecht Dürer drew this.

Main page: The Plantations

The most common Plantations People in History question is the planter who receives land. Less common, but still asked, is the other side of that story: the native Irish landowner who loses his land to the new planters.

You'll still talk about Ulster here, but you'll draw on things you learned about Ireland before the plantations started, and what happened to the native Irish when their land was taken from them.

• Introduce yourself. You know that Hugh O'Neill was the main figure in Ulster, so you can say that you are one of the O'Neills.

• Describe your clan's way of life before the Plantation happened. Who owned the land? What did you use it for?

• Who owns the land now? How did he get it? What does he use it for?

• How did this happen? What happened to Hugh O'Neill? What kinds of people are taking your land? (three types of planter)

• What must the planter who took your land do to defend it? Is he allowed to take Irish tenants?

• How do you plan to attack him? Where are your tribe now? What do the English call you? (tories)

• Finish up by saying you're going to attack tomorrow.

So, in short...

1. Introduce yourself.
2. Your clan's way of life before the Plantations.
3. Who owns the land now.
4. How the plantation happened.
5. What the planter must do to defend it.
6. Your clan now being tories and attacking the planters.

Don't...

• get confused between the Ulster plantation and the ones that happened in Laois-Offaly or Munster.
• name a term (like servitor or bawn) and then not explain it. You always get marks for explaining terms.
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant).

People in History: A settler who received land in a named plantation

King James I ordered the Ulster Plantation.

Main page: The Plantations

The plantation you learn the most about is the Ulster plantation. English settlers were moved to different counties in Ulster, where they claimed the land for their king and started to build new towns, such as Londonderry, and develop towns such as Donegal.

Unlike most of the Second Year People in History questions, this one is like First Year, as you're asked to write about being a planter, instead of writing about a famous planter.

There were different types of planter, and they each had different conditions. When writing this answer you'll need to decide what kind of planter you are. We'll go with a servitor for our example.

• Start by naming your plantation. For example: "Our King, James I, has confiscated six counties in Ulster..."

• What did the King want to do? How was the land divided?

• Talk about the three types of planter and say which one you are. How much land do you and the others get? What are you allowed to do? Remember to explain each of the three types of planter is as much detail as you can.

• What are your conditions? Irish natives will try to attack you. How will you defend the land for the King?

• You can say that you are going to Londonderry. What is it? What kind of people are being asked to go there, and why? What does the King want Londonderry to be?

• Is this plantation going to be a success? Talk about how England has learned from the mistakes it made in Laois-Offaly and Munster. Finish your answer talking about how successful you will be.

So, in short...

1. Name your plantation and the King.
2. What the King wanted to do.
3. Three types of planter, which one you are, and the land and allowances you have.
4. Your conditions and defending the land.
5. The plantation of Londonderry.
6. Is the plantation going to be a success?

  
Don't...

• get confused between the Ulster plantation and the ones that happened in Laois-Offaly or Munster.
• name a term (like servitor or bawn) and then not explain it. You always get marks for explaining terms.
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant).

People in History: A named Renaissance writer

© 20th Century Fox

Main page: The Renaissance

A named Renaissance writer 

If you were asked to name a famous writer from history, chances you William Shakespeare would be one of the first people to come to mind. You'll also know the names of some of his plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream are all famous, and are still performed today.

In 2nd and 3rd Year English, you'll study either Romeo and Juliet or The Merchant of Venice, while in 5th and 6th Year you'll study Hamlet or King Lear.

Shakespeare's plays have been made into films many times. You might have seen the 1996 version starring Leonardo di Caprio (right).

• As usual, name your writer and give his background. Where was he born? When? Did he marry?

• How did he start work? Who did he work with?

• How did he become famous? Why were his plays so popular?

• Give some examples of his plays. Name at least three, and explain what type of play each one was. You don't need to go into detail explaining the stories of each of the plays.

• What else did he write? 

• Finish with his later years and death.

So, in short...

1. Name and introduce the writer.
2. Talk about how he started work.
3. How he became famous.
4. Three examples of his plays.
5. Other things he wrote.
6. Later years and death.

Don't...

• say "Hi, I'm William Shakespeare..." Like I said, this has to be in the third-person (describing other people).
• name a term (like comedy or sonnet) and then not explain it. You always get marks for explaining terms.
• write anything irrelevant (unimportant). It is important that Shakespeare wrote plays. It is not important that he did not have a big white beard.