Downing Street Declaration

The resource takes a twin-track approach.

Track 1: The significance of the Downing Street Declaration

The six documents raise awareness and understanding of key events, developments and processes which contributed in some way to the Downing Street Declaration and the wider peace process. The main question is :

What was the significance of the Downing Street Declaration?

In one sense the answer to this is simple: the Declaration, as Source 6 clearly states, was designed to offer the Republican movement in Northern Ireland a pathway towards an end to violent action. Of course, the process of reaching a point where the Declaration could be made was far from simple. There were many contributory factors: individuals, groups, movements; developments in Ireland and the USA. These documents provide an insight into the workings and impact of just a few of these factors.

Track 2: How historians use sources

Making effective use of sources is not some mechanical process or skill which is separate from knowledge and context. It is a craft which experts take many years to develop and constantly look to improve on. The examination paper for this part of the CCEA GCSE History course places great stock on asking students to assess how the sources they are given would be useful and/or reliable in the context of particular questions. This resource is NOT an examination practice paper. It is designed to take one step back from the exam question-based approach and to explore how historians think about documents and make use of them. The aim is that by understanding this set of fundamentals, students will be better equipped for the inevitably more limited approaches which examination conditions place on them.

Students are introduced to the two tracks in Slides 1-10 and then they can look at the documents.

Students should look at each document and complete the table, so that they are recording:

• Reasons why the Downing Street Declaration came about, why key groups or individuals were involved, why and progress was difficult;
• Impact of particular events, actions, individuals;
• Changes taking place at the time;
• How the process worked which eventually led to the Downing Street Declaration came – meetings, discussions, documents; and
• Attitudes of the various groups and individuals involved.

For each document, there are additional questions to aid students in their analysis.

Students should complete the table before discussing what they consider to be the significance of the Downing Street Declaration.

Once students have decided on a line of argument, they should develop an extended paragraph in response to the question “What was the significance of the Downing Street Declaration?” Their answer should explain why they have come to their conclusion what evidence from the sources supports their assessment.

Please note, the transcripts of the resources retain any typographical errors included in the original documents.