Catholic Emancipation Movement

The Catholic Emancipation Movement was a 19th-century effort in Britain and Ireland to secure greater rights for Catholics, who faced legal restrictions and discrimination since the Protestant Reformation. Key issues included the right to vote, hold public office, and access education without restrictions. The movement culminated in the Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which allowed Catholics to sit in Parliament and hold public positions, significantly easing centuries of legal limitations. This shift helped improve religious equality and greater integration of Catholics into British political and social life.