First page of the Article of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, December 1921, Catalogue ref: DO 118/51
Immediately after the First World War, Home Rule was further delayed. Therefore, Irish nationalists led by Sinn Fein, meaning ‘we ourselves’, an Irish Republican party, took up arms against British rule. This would become the Irish War of Independence.
After over two years of fighting, a treaty was finally signed in late 1921, which set out terms for an Irish Free State, free from direct British rule.
Transcript
TREATY BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT
- Ireland shall have the same constitutional status in the Community of Nations known as the British Empire as the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa with a Parliament having powers to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Ireland and an Executive responsible to that Parliament, and shall be styled and known as the Irish Free State.
- Subject to the provisions hereinafter set out the position of the Irish Free State in relation to the Imperial Parliament and Government and otherwise shall be that of the Dominion of Canada, and the law, practice and constitutional usage governing the relationship of the Crown or the representative of the Crown and of the Imperial Parliament to the Dominion of Canada shall govern their relationship to the Irish Free State.
- The representative of the Crown in Ireland shall be appointed in lie manner as the Governor-General of Canada and in accordance with the practice observed in the making of such appointments.
- According to the Treaty, the Irish Free State will have the same status [position] to which other countries? [Point 1]
- What powers will the Irish Free State now have? [Point 1]
- Who does Point 3 say will be the British (Crown) representative in Ireland?
- Do you think that all sides (in Britain and Ireland) found this result acceptable?
- If not, who might still be dissatisfied with these terms and why?