Test of the Society of United Irishmen facts for kids

The "test" was a special promise or oath taken by members of a group called the Society of United Irishmen. This group was active in the Kingdom of Ireland and wanted to make big changes to how the country was run. They even planned a major uprising in 1798. As the United Irishmen felt that peaceful changes weren't happening, they started to prepare for a fight. They changed their promise to be more secret and to encourage stronger actions. Taking or giving this promise became very dangerous because of a law called the Insurrection Act of 1796. Other groups of United Irishmen who lived in different countries also created their own versions of this promise.

What Was the Original United Irishmen Promise?

The first version of the promise for the Society of United Irishmen was written in 1791. It was created by a doctor from Belfast named William Drennan.

At a meeting, two important leaders, Theobald Wolfe Tone and Thomas Russell, thought the promise was not clear enough. They worried that the words might stop new people from joining the group. Even though Tone and Russell were key in starting the society, and another person named Whitely Stokes agreed with them later, most members decided to keep the original wording.

Some local groups of United Irishmen used simpler versions of the promise.

Why Did the Promise Change in 1795?

The government in Ireland became much stricter after France declared war on Britain in 1793. Because of this, the United Irishmen, especially those in Belfast, started to think about more active ways to achieve their goals, possibly even an uprising. So, in May 1795, delegates from 72 different United Irishmen groups met in Belfast. They decided to change Dr. Drennan's original promise.

They added the words "full representation of the people" to show they wanted everyone to have a say in government. They also removed any mention of the Irish parliament, which was the government at the time. This change showed they wanted a completely new system. The new promise also made it very clear that members needed to keep their activities a secret. William James MacNeven, who took the promise in Dublin, said that the changes made the promise fit with new ideas. It now included people who wanted a republic (a country without a king or queen) and those who just wanted reforms.

Under the Insurrection Act of 1796, giving this promise to someone could lead to a very serious punishment. Taking the promise could mean being sent away from Ireland for life. One well-known person affected by this law was William Orr. In October 1797, he was hanged in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, because he gave the United Irish promise to two soldiers.

United Irishmen Promises in Other Countries

In August 1797, some United Irishmen leaders, including MacNeven, James Reynolds, and Archibald Hamilton Rowan, were living in the United States. They published the rules for the American Society of United Irishmen. This group had been active there for several months.

United Irishmen also took similar promises in other parts of the world. In 1800, Catholic soldiers who rebelled in Newfoundland reportedly took the United Irishmen's promises. United Irish convicts in New South Wales might have done the same when they prepared for their rebellion in 1804. The exact words of these promises are not known.