During their long struggle for independence from British rule, Irish repulicans looked west for hope, and with cause. By the turn of the 20th century, the Irish-American population in the United States was larger than the population of Ireland itself, and the bond between the two cultures was profound, even visceral. The Irish in America provided financial support but also the inspiration of example, proof that a national identity independent of England was achievable. The moment of crisis came in the armed insurrection during Easter week in 1916, when republican leaders rose up in a foredoomed effort to gather international sympathy for their cause. In "The Proclamation of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic" that was read and circulated in Dublin on the first day of the Rising, The United States was the only country specifically singled out for offering help.