The Easter Rising lasted only five days. Yet the 1916 uprising by Irish rebels garnered more than 50 articles in The New York Times, which kept the story on its front page for more than two weeks.

The intense coverage of the rebellion that began 100 years ago this week reflected an important moment not just for Ireland, but for Irish America and The Times itself, historians say.

The rebels’ attempt to throw off several hundred years of British rule failed, leaving more than 400 people dead and parts of Dublin in ruins, but it also helped inspire a broader movement that led to independence in 1922.