preview

Compare And Contrast Peare And George Washington

Good Essays

Everybody knows something about the American Revolution. But how many people know about the eerily similar, yet drastically different Irish Easter Rising and subsequent revolution? Causes, leaders, battles, treaties, resolutions, and effects are a part of every country. Sometimes they are similar, and other times not, as is the case with America and Ireland. Padraig Pearse and George Washington were both elected commander in chief over armies. Neither of them had ever commanded large armies before, although Washington had commanded squadrons. They both also lost more battles than they won. However, the similarities mostly end here. The outcome was the most different. Washington won, after a long struggle. Pearse eventually surrendered, saving countless lives. …show more content…

Many of the Irish leaders were writers, poets, or scholars with little to no military training. In contrast, the Americans had a lot of trained and capable leaders. These drastically different leaders had drastically different effects on the Revolutions. Washington’s unique military tactics won the American Revolution, starting when he had the idea to cross the Delaware. And Pearse, although he lost, went down in history for his bravery when faced with insurmountable odds. One of Pearse’s most famous quotes reads “They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think they have foreseen everything, think that they provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! - they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace." This quote meant much more after the executions of sixteen Irish rebel commandants than it did when it was first said at Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral. It gave hope to young revolutionaries and incited rebellion against

Get Access