#english_history 

As industrialisation continued, the areas at the edge of British economic power became weaker. Areas in [[The Celtic kingdoms of Wales|Wales]], [[The Celtic kingdoms of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[The Celtic kingdoms of Ireland|Ireland]] were particularly afffected.

## Wales
Wales had fewer problems than Scotland or Ireland. Its population grew from 0.5 mill in 1800 to >2 mill in 1900. In south Wales there were rich coal mines which quickly became the centre of a rapidly growing coal and steel industry.

The new working-class community, born in southeast Wales, became increasingly interested in Noncomformist Christianity and [[Radicalism in Great Britain and the loss of American colonies|radicalism]]. It created its own cultural life. Wales was soon a nation divided between the industrialised ares and the unchanged areas of old Wales.

The parliamentary reforms of the 19th century gave Wales a new voice. As soon as they were allowed to vote, the Welsh workers got rid of the Tories.

## Scotland
Scotland was also divided between a new indstrialised area, around Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the Highland and Lowland areas. Around these cities were coal mines and factories, as well as the centre of the British shipbuilding industry on the **River Clyde**, which flows through Glasgow. Like Wales, Scotland became strongly Liberal once its workforce gained voting rights.

The clearances and enclosures in the Highlands continued. Many old clan lands were sold to new landowners who had no previous connection with the Highlands. The Highlands have never recovered from the collapse of the clan system.

## Ireland
The Irish had the worst. The struggle for Irish freedom became a struggle between Catholic and Protestant.

While Irish national feeling was growing, Ireland suffered the worst disaster in its entire history: the potato famine of 1845-1847. About 1.5 mill died from hunger, and many immigrated to America. At the same time Ireland had enough wheat to feed the entire population, but it was grown for export to England by the mainly Protestant landowners.

The Irish population has still not yet grown to the pre-famine level.

Meanwhile, Charles Parnell, a Protestant Irish MP demanded fuller rights for the Irish people, in particularly the right to self-government - "home rule". When most Irish were able to vote for the first time in **1885**, they lost by the skin of their teeth because the Tories did not want homerule. They only got it [[Irish War of Independence|30 years later]].