Map of the Irish Republic showing result of General Election, Dec. 1918
- Title:
- Map of the Irish Republic showing result of General Election, Dec. 1918
- Alternate Title:
- Map of the Irish Republic showing result of General Election
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- Friends of Irish Freedom
- Date:
- 1918
- Posted Date:
- 2017-04-14
- ID Number:
- 1200.01
- Collection Number:
- 8548
- File Name:
- PJM_1200_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1900 - 1919
- Subject:
- Politics & Government
Unusual Graphics/Text - Measurement:
- 35 x 29 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- In April 1916, a group of Republicans calling themselves the "Provisional Government of the Irish Republic" published a declaration of Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of the bloody "Easter Rising." The critical language from that declaration appears at the lower right of the map. The brutal suppression of the Rising and the execution of most of its leaders by the British led to greater support for independence, and particularly for the Republican Sinn Féin party.
This map demonstrates the overwhelming support for independence among Irish voters two years later, in the U.K. parliamentary General Election of December 1918. Of the 105 seats at issue in Ireland, 79 went to candidates "For the Irish Republic and Self-Determination" (73 of them members of Sinn Féin), while only 26 of those elected stood "For Status Quo" (the Unionists in Northern Ireland). The choice of colors - green for independence, red for the status quo - makes the message clear. In case there were any question, a legend on the map asks, "CAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY SHOW SUCH UNANIMITY ON ANY IMPORTANT QUESTION? A minority has no right to obstruct any nation's progress. The Irish Republic has been established by the vast majority of the people of Ireland, and must be recognized." The successful Sinn Féin candidates did not take their seats in the U.K. Parliament, choosing instead to convene in Dublin and declare themselves Dáil Éireann, the parliament of a newly-independent Ireland, leading to the War of Independence (1919-21).
The map was published in New York by a large Irish-American group supporting independence, the Friends of Irish Freedom. This group was originally organized shortly before the Rising and raised a Relief Fund to help Irish Republicans who were suffering in its aftermath. The Friends remained particularly active throughout the War of Independence, selling a substantial amount of bonds to support the newly-declared Irish Republic.
For a strikingly similar map published more than 30 years later, supporting the same cause and even employing the same color scheme, see ID #2387.01, “Ireland’s Right to Unity.”
For further information on the Collector’s Notes and a Feedback/Contact Link, see https://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/content/about-collection-personal-statement and https://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/content/feedback-and-contact - Cite As:
- P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography, #8548. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
- Repository:
- Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
- Archival Collection:
- P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.