The role of Northern Ireland in modern Anglo-American relations: the US Department of State and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, 1979

Abstract

This article explores the wider domestic and international context of a blockade on the sale of weapons to the Royal Ulster Constabulary that was imposed by the US Department of State following objections led in the House of Representatives by Speaker of the House Thomas 'Tip' O'Neill. It details the relationship between the newly elected British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of the United States Jimmy Carter and shows how the gun blockade impacted the relationship between the USA and the UK at a time of international turmoil. © 2014 Board of Transatlantic Studies.