The Irish Confederation Splits
May 13, 1848
On this date in 1848, amid political unrest and famine, the Irish Confederation split over how to respond to British rule. The more radical faction, led by John Mitchel, launched a new newspaper titled The United Irishman, advocating militant republicanism and direct action.
Just weeks after its first issue, John Mitchel was arrested under the newly passed Treason Felony Act, designed to suppress revolutionary activity. He was quickly tried and sentenced to 14 years of transportation to Bermuda and later Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), making him the first person convicted under the Act.
His arrest further radicalized Irish nationalism and helped shape the legacy of physical-force republicanism in the years to follow.