Belfast was founded in the early seventeenth century when King [[James I]] of [[England]] granted land in the vicinity and the right to create a borough to Sir Arthur Chichester in 1611. As the small port developed its population grew from 2,500 in 1700 to 20,000 in 1800. The 19th century saw rapid industrialisation of the city. Industries included shipbuilding (most famously after 1862 by the yard of Harland & Wolff, builders of the RMS [[Titanic]]), linen weaving (which had begun in the previous century on a household basis but was organised in large factories and mills in the nineteenth century), engineering and distilling of [[whiskey]] and [[gin]]. Belfast was [[Ireland]]'s main industrial centre in part because it could import coal cheaply from the coalfields of the west of [[Scotland]]. By 1901 the population had risen to 349,000.
Belfast, a vital industrial city, played a major role in [[World War II]] providing soldiers, ships, weapons, ammunition, army clothes, parachutes and a host of other equipment to the war effort. While Unionists in Northern Ireland were deeply and personally involved in the war effort, the Catholic communities were luke-warm at best.<ref>Philip Ollerenshaw, "War, Industrial Mobilisation and Society in Northern Ireland, 1939-1945." ''Contemporary European History'' 2007 16(2): 169-197. Issn: 0960-7773 </ref> In the late twentieth century Belfast suffered from a decline in its staple industries. It was also badly affected by two major bouts of civil disturbance. The first of these occurred in the early 1920s, as the Irish War of Independence was taking place. The second took place from 1968 to 1997, part of 'the Troubles' that afflicted Northern Ireland at this time. Since 1997 Belfast has thrived as a 'city break' destination as part of a so-called 'peace dividend', and there has been much development along the Lagan waterfront.
Belfast is served by two airports: Aldergrove, 20 miles west on the shore of [[Lough Neagh]], and Belfast City, in the eastern suburbs of the city. It is linked by rail to [[Dublin]] and [[Derry]]/[[Londonderry]], and ferry services connect Belfast to [[Stranraer]] and [[Cairnryan]] in south-west Scotland and to [[Liverpool]] in north-west England.
== External Link ==
http://www.localhistories.org/belfast.html
==Further reading==
* Bardon, Jonathan, and David Burnett. ''Belfast: A Pocket History'' (1997)
* Sheehan, Sean, and Pat Levy. ''Belfast & North of Ireland'' (Footprint - Pocket Guides) (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/Belfast-North-Ireland-Footprint-Pocket/dp/1904777392/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230334758&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
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[[Category:Irish Cities and Towns]]
[[Category:Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Ireland]]
[[Category:British History]]