the 15 "martyrs" and arresting 3500 others, turned people to the Irish rebels. They were released just over a year later, and on his return, De Valera began what would become a long and distinguished career in the politics of Ireland. Had it not been for his involvement and the death of the other leadership, De Valera may have been fated to live a quiet life of scholarship and teaching. In prison, the surviving members of the Easter Rising had decided to organize "for the sake of the Republic" and De Valera was elected as their spokesman. De Valera , with Arthur Griffith, convinced people to work politically rather than rise again, It was here that De Valera became dedicated to the idea of an Irish Republic and nothing less. He was the leader of Sinn Fein, the party created in 1908 by Arthur Griffith. He was elected to Parliament and voted President of Sinn Fein and the Irish Volunteers. The success of Sinn Fein worried the British and so they concocted a conspiracy concerning the Irish and the Germansgoing back to the sinking of the Auld. Claiming Sinn Fein was involved, they rounded up all the leaders of the party and imprisoned them. Therefore, on May 17, 1918, De Valera found himself in another prison. While De Valera was in Lincoln Jail, Michael Collins ran Sinn Fein. De Valeras escape from Lincoln was plotted and the circumstances surrounding this event could fill a volume, making very good suspenseful reading. De Valera was needed at the Treaty of Versailles where he was to try to get the sympathies of Woodrow Wilson. De Valera escaped on February 3, 1919 and when the British just released the rest of the prisoners, it became a moot point to further any prosecution. He was re-elected President of Sinn Fein and threw all his energy into gaining support for Irish independence. The Paris convention was considered to concern the outcome of the war only and Ireland was left out. Just a few months after returning to Ir...
