A Study On William Pitt, The Younger's Proposal To Unify Ireland With Britain

The British government restricted the economic development of Ireland through the trade limit from the year 1663. Many Irish businessmen suffered much economic loss. Irish could not develop unless its economy was free from the British control. In order to fulfill the free trade of Ireland,(?)ish initiated the no import agreement to boycott the British-goods economically and (?)rived to form an independent parliament politically. Since the Irish government succeeded in forming an independent parliament in 1782 and the British government gradually removed many trade limits, the Irish economy developed quickly. However, the economy prosperity of Ireland led to the anxiety of British government, especially of the newly appointed Prime Minister Williams Pitt, the Younger. In his words, two parliaments in one empire were harmful to its stability. In addition, the economic prosperity of Ireland was considered a bigger threat to Britain. He proposed to unify Ireland with Britain in 1785 to gain a full control of the Irish trade. If the proposal were to be realized, it would confine the Irish trade within the empire. It failed to be approved by the Irish parliament. The Irish catholic uprising placed Pitt's proposal on agenda again. Pitt hoped to achieve the economic unification with Ireland through the legislation. The result of the Irish unification with Britain was that the Irish industry began to fall and shouldered the great economic burden of the British Empire unavoidably. The Irish catholic was not really emancipated.