Irish revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763–1798) was one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Although unsuccessful, Tone’s revolt helped inspire a century of militant violence and political agitation that culminated in Ireland’s independence from Great Britain in 1921.
Tone’s commitment to Irish independence was particularly noteworthy because, unlike most later Irish rebels, he was a Protestant. He supported Irish independence out of a principled belief in democracy, and he hoped to create a free Ireland that would not be divided along religious lines.
After the rebellion’s failure and Tone’s death, however, the struggle for Irish independence became increasingly sectarian in nature, pitting proindependence Roman Catholics against pro-British loyalists. Indeed, Tone’s vision has never come to fruition: Today, the predominantly Protestant counties of Northern Ireland remain a part of the United Kingdom.
Born in Dublin, where his father was a coach maker, Tone studied law at Trinity College and practiced briefly in London. He entered politics in the early 1790s as a backer of full legal rights for Roman Catholics, or Catholic Emancipation. Tone’s radicalism was influenced by the French and American Revolutions, in particular the writings of Thomas Paine (1737–1809), which he read and cited as an influence.
In 1791, Tone was one of the founders of the Society of the United Irishmen, an underground group that would soon claim hundreds of thousands of supporters. The group was targeted by the British in 1794, and Tone was forced into exile the next year. Along with other Irish expatriates, he fled to France, where the group spent several years planning a revolt.
The uprising began May 24, 1798. The rebels received assistance from France, but were quickly suppressed by the British. Tone was captured by the British, courtmartialed, and sentenced to death; he committed suicide while awaiting execution.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Tone went into exile in the United States in 1795, living in Philadelphia. He disliked the United States, especially the “enormous expense of living in Philadelphia.”
- Catholic Emancipation—the repeal of British laws barring Roman Catholics from sitting in Parliament or serving as judges—was not approved until 1829.
- Before entering Irish politics, Tone concocted a scheme to establish a British military base on what is now the island of Hawaii. He delivered the proposal in person to prime minister William Pitt (1759–1806), who ignored it.
