Foreign Aid and Influence

The First Dáil declared Ireland's independence in January 1919, now referring to itself as a sovereign state. However, gaining recognition of this in the post-war ordering of empires was not automatic. Ireland failed to gain recognition at the Versailles Peace Conference, and, despite pressure from Irish-Americans, America's President Woodrow Wilson could not formally support Ireland's claim against Britain.

However, many supported Ireland by speaking against the conditions being suffered by the Irish people during this time. The American Commission inquired into the atrocities of the Black and Tans in Ireland in 1920, and the 1921 Report of the British Labour Commission to Ireland detailed and condemned the conditions in Ireland and the atrocities carried out by the British forces. Many in America also supported the new Irish Government's fundraising by buying bonds to finance its activities.