Catholic emancipation Reaction against this led to riots in Scotland in 1779 and then the Gordon Riots in London on June 2, 1780. Further relief was given by an Act of 1782 allowing the establishment of Roman Catholic schools and bishops. The British Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791 was adopted by the Irish Parliament in 1792–93. Since the electoral franchise at the time was largely determined by property, this relief gave the votes to Roman Catholics holding land with a rental value of £2 a year. They also started to gain access to many middle-class professions from which they had been excluded,
Battle off Halifax (1780) Battle off Halifax (1780) The Battle off Halifax took place on 10 July 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. The British Brig "HMS Resolution" fought the American USS Viper and heavy casualties happened on both sides. The battle was "one of the bloodiest battles in the history of privateering... a loss of 51 lives in a single battle was virtually unheard of." During the American Revolution, Americans regularly attacked Nova Scotia by land and sea. American privateers devastated the maritime economy by raiding many of the coastal communities, such as the numerous raids on Liverpool and on Annapolis Royal. A