The Glory Of Being Britons Civic Unionism In Nineteenthcentury Belfast

By John Bew

Subjects: Politics and government, Social conditions, Unionism (Irish politics)

Description: "At a moment when debates about the meaning of Britishness occupy the minds of government, think tanks, academics and the wider public, John Bew's book is a timely and scholarly contribution to this discussion. Covering a period of approximately eighty years, Bew focuses on an area which is often seen as an awkward anomaly in the history of the British and Irish nations. He describes how a deeply held civic British identity flourished on inauspicious foundations, among a people who had once rebelled against the British state." "The Glory of Being Britons examines the transformation of political culture in nineteenth-century Belfast, a town which was once the centre of republicanism and rebellion in Ireland. Starting with the impact of the French Revolution - a cause of huge celebration in Belfast - the book describes how political and civic culture in the town became deeply immersed in the imagined community of the British nation after the Act of Union of 1801, allowing the author to provide a fresh perspective on the roots of Ulster unionist opposition to Home Rule. What caused this shift from 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity' to 'God Save the Queen'? While acknowledging the core sectarian divisions in Irish society, Bew places these developments in the wider context of the Westminster political system and debates about the United Kingdom's 'place in the world'. The book breaks new ground in examining how the formative 'nation-building' episodes in Britain - such as war, parliamentary reform, and social, economic and scientific advancement - played out in the unique context of Belfast and the surrounding area." "Bew demonstrates that Belfast politics was about much more than Orange versus Green. Ultimately, however, he also explains how the exponents of this civic unionism struggled to make their voices heard as Britain and Ireland entered the age of mass democracy and traditional modes of identification began to reassert themselves, even before the Home Rule crisis began. This book will be of interest to students of both British and Irish history."--Jacket.