Naturally, this spread shame and embarrassment among Welsh speakers. It strengthened the position of those who derided the language, and led to the establishment of English-only schools as well as further penalties for speaking Welsh. Most tragic, its effects on the decline of the Welsh language linger even today.
Activism in the Face of Decline. At the time, even many Welsh advocated learning English in order to better get along in mainstream (read: English) society. But others found the situation deplorable and unfortunate, and formed a united front of non-conformist sentiment. This marked the beginning of a new sense of Welshness, one that would become increasingly manifest in the political arena.
Old College, University of Aberystwyth
One of these nonconformist leaders, Hugh Owen, pioneered the cause of education in Wales. Not only did he dedicate his life to establishing primary schools and the National Eisteddfod, he also led the way to the creation of universities at Aberystwyth, Bangor, and Cardiff. The educator Owen Edwards published numerous written works in Welsh, and founded Urdd y Delyn in 1898, a forerunner to the widespread youth organization Urdd Gobaith Cymru. And the nationalist party Cymru Fydd (Young Wales) was also born.
However, nationalism did not take root everywhere. The idea persisted, especially in anglicized southeast Wales, that Welsh nationalism was a hindrance to a unified "British" identity. Sadly, as education in general was furthered throughout Wales, the Welsh language continued to decline in status as the newly built schools were almost completely English. And in the political arena, even the rule of Welsh-speaking Prime Minister Lloyd George, between 1916 and 1922, only offered a brief resurgence of national pride.
With the rise of the Labour Party and the fall of the mining industry, life in Welsh communities changed yet again after the Great War. In particular, the growing influx of England-based media contributed to the decline of Welsh identity. Attempts to rouse Welsh political sentiment, such as the formation in 1925 of Plaid Cenedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales), could not compete with the anglicization in the system. To make matters worse, the Depression of the 1930s drove many Welsh speakers to move to outlying areas and even to England. Later, during World War II, the influx of city refugees further strengthened the presence of the English language in Wales.
Plaid Cymru logo
But the same time period also saw a number of circumstances which contributed to a major change in attitude toward Welsh. In the final installment of this History of Welsh Language, I will examine the sweeping changes of the 20th century, and the gradual heartening reversal of the decrease in Welsh speakers, in more detail. Come back in a couple of weeks to read it!
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