The Campaign for Civil Rights Flashcards
(44 cards)
When was the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) formed?
1967
What event in the USA influenced the non-violent campaign of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland?
The Civil Rights Movement
Who was the first Catholic President of the United States, whose election influenced Catholics in Northern Ireland?
John F. Kennedy
What did the People’s Democracy (PD) march demand in January 1969?
One man one vote
What were NICRA’s aims?
- Achieve one man, one vote
- Ensure the fair allocation of council housing (owning a house was needed if you wanted to vote)
- End gerrymandering (eg. in Derry)
- Prevent discrimination in the allocation of jobs
- Remove the Special Powers Act
- Disband the B Specials
- Establish a formal complaints procedure against local authorities
What did the Five Point Reform Programme announced by the Northern Ireland government in November 1968 include?
• The allocation of council housing on a points system
• The replacement of Londonderry Corporation by a Development Commission
• The removal of parts of the Special Powers Act
• Reforms in local government
• Removal of the right of business owners to cast multiple votes
• Appointment of an ombudsman to investigate complaints
What event led to the establishment of the Cameron Commission?
The ambush of the People’s Democracy march at Burntollet Bridge in January 1969
Who led the People’s Democracy march from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry?
Michael Farrell and Bernadette Devlin
What action did the Reverend Ian Paisley take against NICRA marches?
He and his supporters organised counter-protests
What was the main grievance of Catholics regarding the allocation of council houses?
Councils tended to allocate housing to Protestants
Who was the leader of NICRA’s march from Coalisland to Dungannon in August 1968?
Nationalist MP Austin Currie
Which politician criticised O’Neill’s television appearance justifying his reforms, and why?
William Craig - he believed O’Neill was giving into pressure from the British government
What methods did NICRA borrow from the US Civil Rights Movement?
Non-violent methods of civil disobedience
Why did unionists distrust NICRA?
Some believed it was a front for the IRA, some believed it was only interested in Catholic rights and would take away Protestant ones, some believed it wanted a united Ireland
When and where was the first NICRA march held?
24th August 1968, between Coalisland and Dungannon in County Tyrone
Why was the first NICRA march held?
The Dungannon rural district council allocated a house in the village of Caledon to a Protestant woman rather than a Catholic family - Austin Currie, nationalist MP for East Tyrone, squatted in the house and was evicted.
What happened on the first NICRA march?
The march was prevented from reaching Dungannon town square but an alternative rally was held at the police barricade
Why was the second NICRA march held?
To highlight inequalities in Londonderry Corporation’s housing policy
When was the second NICRA march organised for?
5th October 1968
What was the response to the second NICRA march?
The apprentice boys organisation threatened to hold a rival march - Stormont put a ban on any march east of the River Foyle or within the city walls
What two key things accompanied the second NICRA march?
Four Westminster MPs and an RTE television crew
What happened on the second NICRA march?
The police used heavy-handed tactics to break up the rally, which were shown across the world on TV
Why did further NICRA marches worsen the situation and often result in violence?
They were going ahead with marches the government had banned, the marches were seen as provocative especially when they went through Protestant areas, they were coming into contact with unionist counter marches
When were senior members of the Northern Irish government summoned to Westminster to discuss the violence NICRA had faced in October 1968?
4th November 1968
