civil rights 3.2

What was the purpose of the Jim Crow laws?

To legalize segregation by providing separate facilities for Black and white people under the guise of "separate but equal."

What methods were used to prevent African Americans from voting in the South during the 1950s?

Literacy tests, poll taxes, and threats or actual violence.

Who were the Ku Klux Klan and what did they do?

A white supremacist group that used violence, including lynchings, to enforce segregation and intimidate African Americans.

What role did WWII play in the Civil Rights Movement?

African American soldiers saw less segregation abroad and returned wanting to assert their rights at home.

What was the significance of the Brown vs. Board of Education case (1954)?

It declared that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine.

What event helped accelerate the CRM and involved the murder of a 14-year-old boy?

The murder of Emmett Till in 1955.

What organization did Martin Luther King Jr. help found in 1957?

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

What were key forms of civil disobedience during the CRM?

Marches, boycotts, sit-ins, court cases, and peaceful protests.

What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and why was it significant?

A 1955 protest against bus segregation in Alabama, sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest. It led to the desegregation of buses and boosted MLK’s leadership.

What challenges did the Montgomery Improvement Association face during the boycott?

Transportation issues, legal opposition, and threats from white communities.

What happened at Little Rock High School in 1957?

The Little Rock Nine faced violence and were initially blocked from entering by the governor; federal troops were sent in by President Eisenhower.

What were the sit-ins and what impact did they have?

Peaceful protests at segregated lunch counters, started in 1960, that led to desegregation in many public facilities.

What were the Freedom Rides?

1961 protests to test bus desegregation laws; riders were met with violent attacks, especially in Alabama.

What was the goal of the Birmingham Campaign (1963)?

To desegregate public facilities and businesses; it gained national attention due to violent police responses.

What is the significance of the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"?

MLK’s defense of nonviolent protest in response to criticism from clergy.

What was the Children’s Crusade?

A protest involving schoolchildren in Birmingham that was met with violent police force, shocking the nation.

What happened during the March on Washington (1963)?

Over 250,000 people gathered to demand jobs and freedom; MLK gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

What was Freedom Summer (1964)?

A campaign to register African American voters in Mississippi; met with violence, including the murder of 3 activists.

What triggered the Selma-Montgomery marches?

Voter suppression and the killing of Jimmie Lee Jackson.

What was "Bloody Sunday"?

On 7 March 1965, peaceful marchers in Selma were brutally attacked by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

What was the outcome of the Selma marches?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, outlawing discriminatory voting practices.

What was the March Against Fear?

Started by James Meredith in 1966 to promote voter registration; after he was shot, other civil rights leaders continued the march.

What were the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)?

The CRA banned segregation and discrimination; the VRA outlawed barriers to voting like literacy tests.

What were the long-term impacts of the CRM?

Legal desegregation, increased voter registration, national awareness, and the rise of Black Power movements.