 Emmet came from a wealthy Anglo-Irish Protestant ascendancy Church of Ireland family who sympathized with Irish Catholics and Protestant Dissenters, particularly in Ulster, such as the Presbyterians and their lack of representation in Parliament.The Emmet family also sympathized with the rebel colonists, or "patriots", in the American Revolution.While Emmet's efforts to rebel against British rule failed, his actions and speech after his conviction inspired his compatriots.