On the Road to Rebellion: The United Irishmen and Hamburg, 1796-1803

Despite countless references to it in historical research on United Irishmen, Hamburg's importance for Irish radicalism has never been given special attention. This book sheds light on the development of Irish affairs in Hamburg in the years of 1796-1803. From 1796, the city served as a crossroads between the Society of United Irishmen in Ireland and the various revolutionary governments in France. Although officially neutral, Hamburg represented one of the main scenes in the conflict between the great powers during the coalition wars. Sources in archives in Dublin, Belfast, London and Hamburg furnish proof of the United Irishmen's activities in Hamburg, showing that they were part and parcel of the development of the United movement in its entirety.