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cbabe

(6,581 posts)
Mon Mar 16, 2026, 11:24 AM 14 hrs ago

The Fascinating Origins of the Word "Boycott"

https://www.thefactsite.com/boycott-word-origins/

The Fascinating Origins of the Word “Boycott”



Lord Erne refused this, dispatching his trusty land agent Captain Charles Boycott to evict the revolting tenants.

Shortly before this happened, a member of the Irish Land League known as Charles Stewart Parnell had proposed dealing with landlords and land agents through a peaceful form of social ostracism rather than resorting to violence.



Despite the short-term economic strife it bought them, his workers stopped working in his fields and stables, as well as at his house.

Local businessmen stopped trading with him, and even the local postman refused to deliver his mail!


It didn’t take long for the press to pick up on the boycott, and within a matter of mere weeks, Boycott’s name was everywhere!

James Redpath of the New York Tribune was the first person to use the word in the international press shortly after the incident, and The Times used the term to describe an organized isolation in November of 1880.

… more …

A deeper look:



When Boycott set about evicting 11 tenants, the locals had had enough. The Mayo branch of the Irish Land League urged Boycott's employees to withdraw their labor and began a campaign of isolation against Boycott in the local community.

This campaign included shops in nearby Ballinrobe refusing to serve him, and the withdrawal of services. Boycott found himself a marked man, not fearing violence but even worse the scorn, silence, and disdain of simply everyone he encountered.



https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-invented-boycott
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