Formation of Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru (The Party of Wales) also known as the Welsh Nationalist Party is a political party that has seeks self-government for Wales and works for the protection and promotion of Welsh language, culture and traditions. It was founded in 1925  in response to a perceived threat to Welsh language and culture posed by the increasing official use of English in Wales.

Growing Nationalism

Discussions for the need of a 'Welsh party' had been circulating since the 19th century. With the generation or so before 1922 there 'had been a marked growth in the constitutional recognition of the Welsh nation', wrote historian Dr. John Davies. A Welsh national consciousness re-emerged during the 19th century; leading to the establishment of the National Eisteddfod in 1861, the University of Wales in 1893, and the National Library of Wales in 1911, and by 1915 the Welsh Guards was formed to include Wales in the UK national component to the Foot Guards. By 1924 there were people in Wales 'eager to make their nationality the focus of Welsh politics'. Support for home rule for Wales and Scotland amongst most political parties was strongest in 1918 following the independence of other European countries after the First World War, and the Easter Rising in Ireland. However, in the UK General Elections of 1922, 1923, and 1924; Wales as a political issue was increasingly eliminated from the national agenda.

Formation

It was in this climate that the Welsh Home Rulers group and the Welsh Movement met. Both organisations sent a delegation of three to the meeting, with H. R. Jones heading the Welsh Home Rulers group and Saunders Lewis heading The Welsh Movement. They were joined by Lewis Valentine, D.J. Williams and Ambrose Bebb, among others. The principal aim of the party was to foster a Welsh-speaking Wales. To this end it was agreed that party business be conducted in Welsh, and that members sever all links with other British parties. Lewis insisted on these principles before he would agree to the Pwllheli conference. (According to the 1911 census, out of a population of just under 2.5 million, 43.5% of the total population of Wales spoke Welsh as a primary language. This was a decrease from the 1891 census with 54.4% speaking Welsh out of a population of 1.5 million.)

Early Years

In these early years Plaid Cymru published a monthly paper called Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon) and held an annual summer school. H.R. Jones, the party's full-time secretary, established a few party branches, while Valentine served as party president between 1925 and 1926. In the…