early 17th century

The Ulster plantations

James I ruled England, Scotland and Ireland at the same time. Ireland was still mostly Catholic, and the Tudors' attempts to force the Protestant faith on it had left deep anger. Under Elizabeth I and James I, many Irish people resisted being ruled by England's Protestant government, and there were several rebellions. The English government's answer was to encourage Protestants from Scotland and England to move to Ulster, in the north of Ireland, and take over land that had belonged to Catholic landowners.

These new communities were called plantations. A lot of the newcomers were from the south-west of Scotland, and some of the land was handed to companies in London. Later James I set up similar plantations in other parts of Ireland too. The plantations caused deep problems for England, Scotland and Ireland that lasted for centuries.

The trade guilds of the City of London paid towards the plantations, so in 1613 the city of Derry in the north of Ireland was renamed "Londonderry". Even today, the name someone chooses often shows their politics, and the plantations are one of the roots of the division between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

Era contents: 1600 – 1700