Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

Use this power point to answer the questions about the essay.

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Jonathan Swift

Born in Hoey’s Alley, Dublin, Ireland in 1667, to English parents (Church of England, Anglican).

After his father died, his mother went back to England, and Swift was raised by his father’s wealthy family in Ireland.

He became an Anglican minister, went to England, came back to Ireland to be a minister there (in Church of England)

Always wanted to return to England (he loved it there), but church kept giving him positions in Ireland.

Anglican, but sympathetic to the Irish cause, became strong defender of Irish rights.

Considered most distinguished satirist in English language. Died in Dublin on October 19,1745.

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Terms:Roman Catholic: the original type of Christian church

Protestant: Any Christian church that is NOT Catholic

Anglican: a member of the Church of England (a specific type of Protestant church)

Papist: a Roman Catholic person (slightly derogatory)

Absentee Landlord: someone who owns land in a country and rents it out, but lives and spends the money in a different country (if you owned and rented out a condo in Canada and lived here)

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Where in the world this takes place…Ireland and the United Kingdom (England)

How it all started:

Roman CatholicIr

ela

nd

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Roman Catholic

1534

Ire

lan

d6

Roman Catholic

1534

Church of England

(Anglican church) is

established when it

King Henry VIII splits

from Catholic Church England

Ire

lan

d7

Roman Catholic

1534

Church of England

(Anglican church)

England=Protestants

Roman Catholic

Ireland=Catholics

Ire

lan

d8

Roman Catholic

1534

Church of England

(Anglican church)England

Roman Catholic

Ireland

England charges Ireland high rent, takes over parliament,

passes Anti-Catholic legislation

Ire

lan

d9

1536 Irish parliament makes Henry VIII head of the Church of Ireland. However, Reformation makes little progress in Ireland. Vast majority of Irish still Catholic.

1541 King Henry VIII is determined to re-assert his authority over Ireland. He changes his title from Lord of Ireland to king. The Irish parliament assents.

1603 Enforcement of English Law in Ireland.

1641 Catholics hold 59% of land in Ireland.

1649 English soldier & statesman, Oliver Cromwell, landed at Dublin. His troops killed 2,000 men. Land was confiscated and divided among the English soldiers

1653 Cromwell decides to confiscate land held by Irish Catholics.

1656 Over 60,000 Irish Catholics sent as slaves to Barbados/other islands in Caribbean.

1658 Population of Ireland (around 1,500,000, before Cromwell) was reduced by two-thirds, to 500,000, at Cromwell's death in 1658.

1672 Over 6,000 Irish boys/women sold as slaves since England gained control of Jamaica.

1688 Catholics now hold 22% of land in Ireland.

1692 Exclusion of Catholics from Parliament and all professions.

1695 Anti-Catholic Penal Laws Introduced. Catholics hold 14% of land in Ireland.

1714 Catholics hold 7% of land in Ireland.

1727 Catholics are deprived of the right to vote

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Roman Catholic

1534

Church of England

(Anglican church)England

Roman Catholic

Ireland

England charges Ireland high rent, takes over parliament,

passes Anti-Catholic legislation

1729: Modest Proposal is written as a response to Irish Catholic discrimination

Ire

lan

d11

As you read:This is a hard essay. Follow the directions on the worksheet and work your way through it. Ask questions if you are confused! Look up words you don’t know!

You should be done with the essay by Wednesday, March 19. That day will be a class review day to make sure everyone is ready for the test!

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