In the early periods, the British society was gradually changing socially, politically and more importantly economically. Britain underwent a series of changes that resulted in industrial revolution. Although these changes were to some extent beneficial to the British economy, they came with several challenges and uncertainties for Britain. Individuals thus began to worry and question various developments in the British society that came with these changes. Between 1789 and 1840 Britain experienced events that although were minimal, impacted the British nation in different ways. During this period, the British society was still in its early stages of industrial development which resulted in changes in the original form of people's lives. However, between 1880 and 1914, the economic, political and social change in Britain was much more evident. Anxieties, therefore, arose among individuals concerning the British society in these two periods which were related to social, political and economic changes. These worries and uncertainties expressed by individuals were however similar to some extent for both periods.
Discovery of other nations of the world by early explorers brought about trade connections between different countries. Africa, America, and Europe were all linked in trade thereby creating an economic Atlantic world in which Britain and Ireland were immersed. People, goods, and ideas all flowed back and forth between nations across the Atlantic Ocean. To increase its productivity levels and amass more wealth, Britain saw the need for improving its labor force which was regarded to be insufficient at that time. Therefore, slaves were imported from Africa to work in British industries and plantations in British colonies. Slavery in Europe and across the Atlantic played a very significant role when it came to British industrial revolution (Thompson) . Slaves produced the raw materials that were generated in western Atlantic and exported for manufacturing in British industries. The production of finished goods in Britain that was supplied by slave-based production led to enormous growth of British industries which in turn created employment for various individuals throughout the British Empire. After the 1790s, slavery was outlawed and finally abolished in 1807 throughout the British Empire (Thompson) .
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Between 1789 and 1840 public’s opinion concerning slavery was becoming more and more anti-slavery. The British government, therefore, abolished slavery, and several measures were put in place to ameliorate slave conditions (Quinn, 2006) . T he abolition of slavery was seen as an issue that could drastically affect the British economy in that Britain’s sugar industry might be destroyed (Thompson) . Although the gradual abolition of slavery in the British society as a cause that could negatively influence the nation, those who argued against slavery saw it as an opportunity for Britain to explore African countries for raw materials. They stated that the country would be able to maintain the growth of its manufacturing industries while at the same time do what was considered to be morally right.
Anti-slavery movements in Britain between 1789 and 1840 sparked controversy over what it would mean for the British society. The Caribbean which was the main colony of Britain and producer of sugar was essential to the British economy (Quinn, 2006) . Slaves mainly produced unprocessed sugar, an d if the Caribbean economy collapsed, the government, shippers, and financers of the sugar production would suffer significant losses. Moreover, the gradual abolition of slavery called for compensation of slave and plantation owners with an agreeable amount of 20 million Euros (Thompson) . This amount was at that time much for the British government with various individuals arguing that it could impact Britain economically, socially and politically. Furthermore, debates arose on the emancipation of slaves with other people supporting for gradual emancipation while other wanted complete abolition of slavery posed a challenge to British political and economic life.
Irish nationalism is the ideology that the Irish people are a nation lobbying for the support of a united Ireland. Irish nationalist asserted that foreign rule was to the detriment of Irish interests (Rynne, 2014) . T his ideology brought anxiety to the British society at the time was in motion. The British nation did not recognize Catholicism and due to the failure of the ruling authority to abandon Catholicism they were replaced by British Protestant settlers. For this reason, the parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland becomes wholly protestant both in the House of Commons and House of Lords. All drafted bills that originated from Ireland had to be first approved in the Privy Council in London before being availed to Irish MPs. In addition to this, the British parliament further claimed the right to legislate Ireland with the declaratory act of 1720 (Forbes) .
These occurrences were met with fierce opposition on the part of Irish Protestant political elite especially if the British parliament attempted to interfere directly with Ireland affairs. This hostility, therefore, intensified in the late eighteenth century and was inspired mainly by the French revolution of 1789- 1794 (Lysaght, 2018) . Furthermore, a group of “patriotic” interest opposition MPs in the house of commons asserted that the people of Ireland had the right to be ruled by their own el ected representatives, to determine how taxes were paid and how they were spent and to enjoy civil liberties. They regarded the making of laws of Ireland and restricting the authority exercised by Irish parliament by British MPs as unconstitutional. In 1782, the Irish parliament received legislative independence, but this was however short-lived for it put a strain on Ireland and Britain as Irish patriot MPs called for further political and economic reforms in addition to the emergence of other radical ideas.
A movement against the British (the United Irishmen) merged which mostly constituted Protestants but further received support from Irish Catholics. This movement was however suppressed when the French declared war on Britain in 1793. As a result of being driven underground, they started advocating for an independent republic that was inspired by the French model. Moreover, a French invasion that was in support of the movement landed on the west coast of Ireland thereby causing further revolts in Connaught. These happenings posed an immediate threat to British security at a time of war (Forbes) . To avoid further rebellions, William Pitt the Younger responded to suggestions placed forth by the Prime Minister by pressing for a union of Great Britain and Ireland. This he argued that the legislative independence achieved by Ireland was a liability. Moreover, he claimed that a political union was mandatory for the wealth power and stability of the British Empire. The proposed union was met with opposition on the part of Irish Protestants with members of the Irish House of Commons rejecting the bill by a narrow margin. However, the law was later realized in 1801 after a series of efforts that included bribing Irish MPs into voting for the Union (Forbes) .
Despite the continuous intense opposition of Catholicism by the British society, Irish citizens managed to win the Catholic Relief act in 1793 when Irish Catholics were allowed to worship freely and were granted admission into public offices. Additionally, they were allowed to vote in general elections if they met the qualifications of their Protestant counterparts (White, Catholicism, and Nationalism in Ireland: From Fusion in the 19th Century to Separation in the 21st Century, 2007) . Although Irish Catholics were granted some liberties, they could not yet be allowed to sit in parliaments while those in Britain could not vote. Therefore calls were placed forward for Catholic emancipation and were evident by the widespread public opposition that was across Britain (Quinn, 2006) . An example is O’Connell; a Roman Catholic elected MP for Clare who could not be allowed to sit in parliament. This action increased the agitation of the public in Ireland in favor of Catholic emancipation which increased the worries of British society that the country might descend into rebellion (Lysaght, 2018) .
Protestants filled petitions in parliament urging MPs to reject Catholic claims and formed movements that opposed the Irish Catholics. To some degree, the “No-Popery” movement of the British Protestants reflected the British society anxieties that surrounded the influx of Irish immigrants into Britain which was a result of the economic slump in the wake of Napoleonic wars (Rynne, 2014) . Although O’Connell was an advocate for non-violent political reforms along the British liberal lines and did not want the two countries to server ties but instead remain united through monarchy, his supporters did not share in his views. Therefore, the emerging sense of Irish national identity specifically Irish Catholic Identity was the cause for many Irish proponents of the Campaign for Catholic emancipation.
In 1888 an unidentified killer known as Jack Ripper murdered a series of women in the Whitechapel area of London (Johnson) . The Whitechapel in the East end areas of London was similar to a festering sore on the face of Victoria London in the late 19 th century. The poverty-stricken people who inhabited this part of the city lived in huts with their streets stinking of filth. Therefore the only way to earn a living for people in this population was by criminal means and for many women, prostitution (Trott) . The subsequent murders that followed the first murder victim caused an uproar in Whitechapel. People rioted as angry crowds attacked anyone carrying a black bag for it was rumored that the Ripper carried knives in such kind of bags. In addition to the ever-increasing social problems in Britain, the murders were never solved nor the real killer apprehended (Johnson) . The chief of police resigned leaving people in the British society to question the adequacy of Britain in dealing with mounting problems of a nation increasing in population and a complex society (Trott) .
Consequently, the Irish nationalism between 1880 and 1914 that centered on Home Rule was a cause for concern for the British society. Its developers established home rule as a way stating that Ireland was to be allowed more say in how it was governed by freeing it from the London rule thereby appeasing people in Ireland who wanted Ireland to have more home derived power (McConell, 2011) . T he league that was founded in 1879 in Ireland had an objective of destroying the power of the landlord. Their leader, Charles Stewart Parnell, therefore, embarked on agrarian agitation in 1881 while his followers engaged in various kinds of parliamentary obstructionism (Brunet) . In the 1880s, Gladstone was converted into home rule. However, both home rule bills of 1886 and 1893 were both rejected and killed off by the house of the Lords (Joyce, 2018) . They stated that the rule would lead to a gradual process in which the power London would be reduced in Ireland and eventually in other areas. Moreover, Germany and Austria-Hungary believed that the Irish Home Rule question could paralyze British Foreign policy and this could be catastrophic for the British society economically and politically (Jerome, 2015) .
The happenings and more importantly the Irish movements that occurred in 1789-1840 and 1880-1914 were a cause for concern that placed Britain in a tighter spot both politically, socially and economically. They undermined the rule and the status that Britain had fought so hard to achieve and maintain. Being a nation that established itself and created its wealth by acquiring colonies, it had a lot to lose in case the issues that undermined its rules were not dealt with. These causes of anxiety to Britain between these two periods were more similar in that all the happenings surrounding the British society uncertainties focused mainly on its rule which if given into could undermine the social views of Britain and drastically affect the British society economically and more importantly its political holdings.
References
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