Botany Bay—the term for Australia when it served as a penal (prison) colony for Great Britain.Often Irish citizens who advocated for Home Rule would be deported, or exiled, here. Most of the convicts were thieves who had been convicted in the great cities of England. Only those sentenced in Ireland were likely to have been convicted of rural crimes. Simple larceny, or robbery, could mean transportation for seven years. Compound larceny - stealing goods worth more than a shilling (about $50 in today's money) - meant death by hanging. “We have to work from 14-18 hours a day, sometimes up to our knees in cold water, 'til we are ready to sink with fatigue.” ~Convict in Australia Lyrics: By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young man calling "Michael, they have taken you away, "Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free For you stole Trevelyan's corn, Against the famine and the crown, So the young might see the morn. I rebelled, they cut me down. Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay." Now you must raise our child with dignity." Low lie the fields of Athenry By a lonely harbor wall, she watched the last star fall Where once we watched the small free birds fly As the prison ship sailed out against the sky Our love was on the wing For she lived to hope and pray for her love in Botany Bay We had dreams and songs to sing It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry. It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry. Name # Class Period Date The Fields of Athenry The Basics: Where does the song take place? What crime has the young man, Michael, in the song committed? Why did he do it? What does Michael hope that Mary, his wife, will be free from? What is Michael’s final punishment? Going Deeper: What specific population do you think Michael and Mary represent? Who do you think Trevelyan represents?
Botany Bay—the term for Australia when it served as a penal (prison) colony for Great Britain.Often Irish citizens who advocated for Home Rule would be deported, or exiled, here. Most of the convicts were thieves who had been convicted in the great cities of England. Only those sentenced in Ireland were likely to have been convicted of rural crimes. Simple larceny, or robbery, could mean transportation for seven years. Compound larceny - stealing goods worth more than a shilling (about $50 in today's money) - meant death by hanging. “We have to work from 14-18 hours a day, sometimes up to our knees in cold water, 'til we are ready to sink with fatigue.” ~Convict in Australia Lyrics: By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling "Michael, they have taken you away, For you stole Trevelyan's corn, So the young might see the morn. Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay." Low lie the fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry. By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young man calling "Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free Against the famine and the crown, I rebelled, they cut me down. Now you must raise our child with dignity." By a lonely harbor wall, she watched the last star fall As the prison ship sailed out against the sky For she lived to hope and pray for her love in Botany Bay It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry. Name # Class Period Date The Fields of Athenry The Basics: Where does the song take place? What crime has the young man, Michael, in the song committed? Why did he do it? What does Michael hope that Mary, his wife, will be free from? What is Michael’s final punishment? Going Deeper: What specific population do you think Michael and Mary represent? Who do you think Trevelyan represents?
historical_case_study--student_packet.docx