Montgomery Bus Boycott

When did the Montgomery Bus Boycott start?

1955

What caused the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white person on a bus

What happened to Rosa Parks?

Arrested and fined

Who first refused to give up her seat on a bus?

Claudette Colvin

How old was Claudette Colvin?

15

Why was Rosa Parks and not Claudette Colvin the face of the bus boyott?

She became pregnant as an unmarried teenager with an older man (at 16)

Where is Montgomery?

Alabama

Is Alabama in the north or the south?

South

When did the Montgomery Bus Boycott end?

1956

How long did the Montgomery Bus Boycott last?

A year

What were the main events during the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

1. Civil rights activists discuss a boycott of city buses and formed MIA
2. MIA met bus company officials, who refused to desegregate buses
3. MIA arrange car sharing etc
4. MIA negotiates reduced cab fares with black drivers
5. January 1956 - MLK’s home is bombed

What did MLK do once his home was bombed?

Peaceful protest with no retaliation

Why was MLK doing a peaceful protest important?

It allowed for media coverage and for people to feel sympathetic towards the civil rights campaigners

Was non-violent direct action shown to be effective or ineffective here?

Effective

What was the MIA?

Organisation formed to maintain the boycott

What does MIA stand for?

Montgomery Improvement Association

Who was elected as the MIA chairman?

MLK

When was the MIA formed?

End of 1955

What does a car pool mean?

Sharing of cars

How many cars became involved in the car pools?

Over 300

Why was Rosa Parks better than Claudette Colvin?

As a married, middle-aged woman, it was had to scrutinise her for bad behaviour/not being respectable

Had Rosa Parks been involved in campaigns before?

Yes - for black voter registration

What were the reasons for the boycott’s success?

* Well organised
* Committed
* Well publicised
* Bus company was hurt financially

Why was the Montgomery Bus Boycott significant to the civil rights movement overall?

It desegregated buses

What was the case that the NAACP brought to the Supreme Court called?

Browder vs Gayle

What did the NAACP argue about bus segregation?

It went against the 14th Amendment

What case also related to segregation going against the 14th Amendment?

Brown vs Topeka - segregation of schools

When was the first civil rights act passed?

1957

What caused the 1957 Civil Rights Act?

Brown case and Montgomery Bus Boycott

What was the aim of the 1957 Civil Rights Act?

* Increase black voter registration
* Make it illegal to obstruct voter registration
* Allow federal courts to prosecute states that didn’t guarantee voting rights