Many Americans are familiar with the role of the Irish in American independence. Less well known is the impact of the American Revolution on Ireland. Eighteenth-century Ireland was a complex multi-ethnic and multi-denominational kingdom and while many Irishmen were deeply frustrated with British rule, many others supported the British state and saw the suppression of the American rebellion as part of their patriotic duty as subjects of the crown. The simple idea that being Irish meant being opposed to Britain and thus supportive of American claims is a gross misreading of the complexities of Ireland in this period.
This talk will attempt to outline these complexities and the dramatic reactions of Irishmen of all denominations to the events of 1765 to 1783. It is hosted in conjunction with the Irish American Heritage Museum and with the generous support of the Dunphy Foundation.
Professor Matthew Dziennik is an historian of the British Empire with a special interest in military recruitment in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. His work typically explores ethnic, religious, and racial diversity in the British Army and how non-English recruits often shaped the military priorities of the empire. Educated at the University of Edinburgh, he came to the United States Naval Academy in 2016 after postdoctoral fellowships at the New School University and the University of Saskatchewan.