In the 1830s, as Britain navigated political reform to stave off instability and social unrest, Ireland became increasingly influential in determining British politics. This book is the first to chart the importance that Irish agrarian violence – known as 'outrages' – played in shaping how the 'decade of reform' unfolded. It argues that while Whig politicians attempted to incorporate Ireland fully into the political union to address longstanding grievances, Conservative politicians and media outlets focused on Irish outrages to stymie political change. Jay R. Roszman brings to light the ways that a wing of the Conservative party, including many Anglo-Irish, put Irish violence into a wider imperial framework, stressing how outrages threatened the Union and with it the wider empire. Using underutilised sources, the book also reassesses how Irish people interpreted 'everyday' agrarian violence in pre-Famine society, suggesting that many people perpetuated outrages to assert popularly conceived notions of justice against the imposition of British sovereignty.

‘[A] rich and important contribution to existing scholarship.’

Ashley M. Morin Source: Journal of British Studies

‘Outrage in the Age of Reform is a landmark contribution to both Irish and British historiography. It will be of obvious value to scholars of nineteenth-century Britain and Ireland, but it also speaks to broader audiences interested in the dynamics of insurgency, counterinsurgency, and state formation, particularly within colonial settings. The book’s ability to fuse political, social, and imperial history into a cohesive and compelling narrative makes it a prime candidate for inclusion in undergraduate and postgraduate syllabi on nineteenth-century Irish as well as British history.’

Constantin Torve Source: Agricultural History Review