Irish Proclamation of Independence, 1916 - DBQ Document-Based Questions - Irish Independence Proclamation

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

DBQ material built around the 1916 Irish Proclamation of Independence, presenting key excerpts that argue Ireland’s right to national sovereignty and self-determination. It includes a brief statement of the Republic’s claims, promises of religious and civil liberty, and intentions for a permanent national representative government. The packet also provides student directions and DBQ prompts that ask readers to interpret specific phrases and assess how later execution of signatories could affect public perceptions of the independence movement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Directions

Document-Based Questions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

DBQ: Document-Based Questions Irish Proclamation of Independence, 1916 POBLACHT NA H EIREANN THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND. IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom. Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory. We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the last three hundred years they have asserted it to arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades-in-arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations. The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past. Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic intrust for the people. © Student Handouts, [Inc. www.studenthandouts.com](Inc. www.studenthandouts.com) We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God. Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called. Signed on Behalf of the Provisional Government. Thomas J. Clarke, Sean Mac Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, P. H. Pearse, Eamonn Ceannt, James Connolly, Joseph Plunkett.1 Directions: Base your answers to the following questions on the text and your knowledge of social studies. 1. What is meant by the phrase “her exiled children in America”(second paragraph)? 2. At the time this document was published, how did most Irish people react to it? 1 All signatories to the Irish Independence Proclamation were later executed by the British government. 3. All signatories to the Irish Independence Proclamation were later executed by the British government. Did this change the public’s perception of the Irish independence movement? Explain. Visit www.studenthandouts.com for free interactive test-prep games…no log-in required!

FAQs

What does the phrase “her exiled children in America” refer to in the document?

It refers to Irish people living in America who are described as supporting the independence cause from abroad.

How did most Irish people likely react to the document at the time it was published?

The DBQ expects an answer based on historical context and the text’s call for independence; students should explain the likely public reaction using social studies knowledge.

Why would the execution of the signatories affect public perception of the independence movement?

The DBQ indicates that learning the signatories were later executed could strengthen or reshape public views by adding consequences and martyr-like significance to the movement.

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya