In 1922, Northern Ireland's parliament voted to remain British just one day after Irish independence

Following years of conflict, the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 created the Irish Free State, but it included a specific 'opt-out' clause for the north. On December 7, 1922, the Parliament of Northern Ireland met to formally exercise this right. They drafted an address to King George V requesting that their territory remain under British rule rather than join the new southern government.