Catriona Kennedy joins us to explore the history of Catholic emancipation in Britain, the slow shift towards toleration, scapegoating and the final Emancipation Act's social and political implications, along with the key figures involved, including the pivotal role of the Duke of Wellington, Robert Peel and Daniel O'Connell.

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Catriona's Work:

Narratives of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Military and Civilian Experience in Britain and Ireland, 1793 to 1815 - https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030559274

Women, Politics and the Irish Public Sphere in the Age of Revolution - https://www.oxford.com/academic/works/9780198807474

University of York - Catriona Kennedy Profile - https://www.york.ac.uk/history/people/academic-staff/katrina-kennedy/

University of Southampton Special Collections - Wellington Papers - https://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/collections/wellington-papers.page

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest Katrina Kennedy

01:00 Historical context: Catholic persecution from the Reformation to 1829

02:25 The legal status of Catholics in Britain in the late 18th century

05:36 Reasons behind the relaxation of anti-Catholic laws in the 1790s

08:55 Impact of the French Revolution on British attitudes towards Catholics

11:03 The shifting concept of Britishness and Irish identity

21:44 The rise of Daniel O'Connell and the Catholic campaign in Ireland

24:19 Wellington's opposition and the political crisis of 1829

33:05 The relationship between King George IV and Wellington during emancipation

37:53 Public opinion, prejudice, and the social impact of emancipation

42:07 Modern parallels: anti-Catholic prejudice and othering

49:43 Conclusion: The social and political legacy of Catholic emancipation

Keywords

Catholic emancipation, British history, Irish history, Act of Union, Daniel O'Connell, Wellington, Irish immigrants, 19th century politics