he Fenian movement in Ireland and the movement in theU.S. When the rising did actually occur in 1867 it was too late. Many of the influentialleaders had been arrested for conspiracy and imprisoned. The actions of the Fenians didhave a strong affect on a Gladstone who sat in British Parliament. He seemed to have amoral obligation to help the Irish and that he did. In 1869 he passed the disestablishmentact which placed all religions on an equal level. Also in 1870 he passed the land act whichinspired a new constitutional movement. Isaac Butt formed the Home Rule and its mainobjective was “subordinate parliament with control over Irish domestic affairs.” (moodyand Martin 282) Many of Butt’s people gained positions in parliament but they did nothave much of an effect until a new strategy, obstruction, was used. This type ofparliamentary procedure was led by Parnell and gained the support of the Fenianmovement. This was the beginning of the cooperation between the two groups,constitutional and revolutionary. In 1877 the Land League was formed and Parnell was itsPresident. This combined all nationalist into the group and was very effective. TheLeague called for the three F’s, free sale, fixity of tenure and fair rents. This land war inwhich the farmers successfully stood up to their landlords was a very large and effectivemovement. The war in which people fought passionately against landlords lasted from1879 to 1882 and caused Gladstone to pass a new land act in which the three F’s wereacknowledged by the law. At the end of the century it was clear that the only way to change was to unite. The genius of leaders like O’Connell and Parnell led to more change than Ireland had everseen before. The spirit of the Irish people had been lifted by O’Connell, torn apart by thefamine, and in the end restored by Parnell. Many of the strategies under Parnell’sleadership are still used to thi...
