Civil Rights, Social Movements, and Key Legislation in U.S. History

What organization did Martin Luther King Jr. form in 1957?

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

What was the goal of the 1961 Freedom Rides?

To force the desegregation of buses traveling from the North to the South.

Who was the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi?

James Meredith.

What was the 'Children's Crusade' in 1963?

A protest in Birmingham where the SCLC used young people to march, resulting in televised police brutality.

How did President Lyndon B. Johnson use the assassination of JFK to advance civil rights?

He used the 'martyrdom' of Kennedy to push the stalled Civil Rights Bill through Congress as a tribute.

What was the primary purpose of the 1964 'Freedom Summer'?

SNCC and CORE members worked to register African Americans to vote in the South.

What event directly triggered the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

The violent police attack on peaceful marchers during the Selma to Montgomery march, known as 'Bloody Sunday'.

How did the focus of the Civil Rights Movement shift after 1965?

It moved from fighting racist laws in the South to addressing poverty and police brutality in Northern cities.

What was the 'Black Power' movement?

A movement that emerged in the mid-60s, rejecting non-violence in favor of self-defense and faster, independent change.

Who coined the phrase 'Black Power' in 1966?

Stokely Carmichael.

What were the primary goals of the Black Panther Party founded in 1966?

Armed self-defense against police brutality and the operation of community programs like 'Free Breakfast for Children'.

What event in 1969 is considered the catalyst for the modern Gay American Rights movement?

The Stonewall Inn Uprising in New York City.

What book is credited with sparking the Women's Rights Movement in the 1960s?

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963).

What did Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 accomplish for women?

It prohibited discrimination in employment based on sex.

What was the purpose of the American Indian Movement (AIM) formed in 1968?

To fight for Native American rights and protest government failures to honor historical treaties.

What was the 'Trail of Broken Treaties'?

An AIM-led march on Washington and occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

What organization was formed in 1970 to combat ageism?

The Gray Panthers, founded by Maggie Kuhn.

What did the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 allow?

It gave tribes greater control over their own lands, education, and law enforcement.

What was the significance of Title IX (1972)?

It guaranteed equal opportunity for women in federally funded education and sports.

What happened to the Civil Rights Movement on April 4, 1968?

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, sparking riots in over 100 cities.

What was the significance of the 1965 Watts Riots?

They signaled the shift of the movement's focus toward Northern urban issues like police brutality and poverty.

How did Malcolm X's approach differ from Martin Luther King Jr.'s?

Malcolm X rejected the necessity of non-violence and advocated for more aggressive self-defense.

What was the main goal of the National Organization for Women (NOW)?

To advocate for women's equality and rights, formed by Betty Friedan in 1966.

What major change occurred in the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 regarding gay rights?

It removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

Who was Harvey Milk?

One of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

What was the primary finding of the Kerner Commission?

The nation was moving toward two separate and unequal societies, one black and one white.

What were restrictive housing covenants?

Legal clauses in property deeds prohibiting the sale of homes to Black people, Jews, or other minorities.

How did redlining affect Black families?

Banks and the FHA refused to grant mortgages in minority neighborhoods, preventing the accumulation of home equity and wealth.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1968 also known as?

The Fair Housing Act.

What were the primary cash crops in colonial plantations?

Tobacco, rice, and indigo.

How did the invention of the cotton gin impact slavery?

It increased the demand for labor to process cotton, entrenching the institution of slavery.

What was the 54th Massachusetts?

A well-known Black unit that fought for the Union during the Civil War.

What was the primary cause of the failure of Reconstruction?

The North gave up on the process after Lincoln's death and Andrew Johnson took over, allowing Jim Crow laws to emerge.

What was the 'Double V' campaign during WWII?

A movement advocating for victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home.

What was the significance of Jackie Robinson in 1947?

He became the first African American to play Major League Baseball.

What did Brown v. Board of Education accomplish?

It ended the 'separate but equal' doctrine in public schools.

Who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Martin Luther King Jr.

What was the 'Talented Tenth' concept advocated by W.E.B. DuBois?

The idea that the top 10% of African Americans should lead the push for immediate social and political equality.

What was the main difference between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois?

Washington prioritized economic self-reliance and vocational skills, while DuBois demanded immediate social and political equality.

What was the purpose of the 13th Amendment?

To formally abolish slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S.

What did the 14th Amendment guarantee?

Citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and equal protection under the law.

What did the 15th Amendment prohibit?

Denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

What was sharecropping?

A labor system where farmers worked land they did not own for a portion of the crops, often leading to permanent debt.

What did the Dred Scott decision rule?

African Americans were not citizens and could not sue, and Congress had no power to forbid slavery in territories.

What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

It declared all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory to be forever free.

Who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'?

Harriet Beecher Stowe.

What was the role of the Underground Railroad?

A network to lead enslaved people to freedom, with Harriet Tubman as a famous conductor.

What did William Lloyd Garrison advocate for?

Immediate and uncompensated emancipation of all enslaved people.

What was the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

A legal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson that sanctioned racial segregation.

What were Jim Crow laws?

State and local statutes that legalized racial segregation and disenfranchised Black voters.

What was the primary goal of the NAACP?

To achieve political and social equality for African Americans.