Northern Ireland Coursework

The Start of the Troubles –

The Civil Rights Movement

Background to the “Troubles”

• Following Partition in 1921 the Protestants took steps to ensure they had control

• ‘Gerrymandering’ was used to keep control of town and city councils

• This meant they could control the allocation of new housing and many different jobs

• Catholics were second class citizens

The Nationalist Campaign

• Many Nationalists refused to accept Partition

• The IRA fought a campaign in the countryside trying to force a solution

IRA Campaign fails

• As newspaper shows the campaign was doomed to fail

• Problem was lack of support from the people

The Civil Rights Movement

• By the 1960s inspired by the success of men like Martin Luther King moderate nationalists formed the NICRA

• Their slogan was the song “We shall overcome”

The March in Derry

• For many the NICRA were too soft

• The organisation organised a big meeting in Derry

• Londonderry was the best example of Protestant control

The Battle of Duke Street

• The Civil Rights supporters then tried to march down Duke Street

• They were stopped by the RUC

The RUC go on the attack

The Consequences

• One of the consequences of the break up of the demonstration in Duke Street was that press and television reports ensured that some very damaging pictures of police violence were seen throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. This produced a violent reaction of feeling in many places ...

The People’s Democracy

• A new group now appeared – the People’s Democracy

• A march was planned from Belfast to Derry

• Loyalists turned out to block the route

Burntollet Bridge

• As the marchers got close to Derry a crowd of Loyalists and RUC men were waiting at Burntollet Bridge

• As the marchers approached the attack began

The attack

After the Battle

• About fifty yards ahead a group of men armed with sticks and bars formed a road block. One carried a hatchet, another a billhook. For a few minutes it seemed that they were going to drag us from the ambulance. But then the leader contented himself by saying, you got a lot less than you deserved. Next time we see you, it will be the last rites, as you call them, that you'll need. We'll kill each last one of you that turns up in this area again'."