1.3 The Montgomery Bus Boycott And Its Impact Flashcards
Who was Rosa parks ?
- black american woman
- famous for boycotting the us segregation rules on buses
- didn’t give seat to white person
- respectable , middle aged , black woman
Where did white people sit on the buses?
At the front
Where did black people sit on the buses?
At the back
What did blacks have to do if a white person asked them too , on a bus?
Give up their seat.
Why Rosa Parks arrest lead to a bus boycott
- respectable , church going , middle aged never did anything to white people
- emphasised the injustice
What was the WPC?
Woman’s political council , responded to rosa parks wanting changes
What does MIA stand for ?
Montgomery improvement association
Who was Martin luther king?
- well educated ,black , baptist minister and activist
- supported integration
- fought for civil rights peacefully
- powerful speaker
- raised lots of money for the boycott and was an important voice
- able to protest as was employed by a black church
What date did the rosa park incident happen?
1st December 1955
What significant event happened on 1st December 1955?
Rosa parks refused to give up her seat to a white person , sparking a boycott
What happened after Rosa parks incident ?
- 8th December, MIA met bus company and officials to consider policy change , they refused
- 12 December 1955, MIA met with church groups to organise car pool system of lifts car pools had acquired over 300 cars
What happened to MLK on the 30th January 1956
MLKs house was bombed and other churches were bombed too.
How did the kkk react to the boycott?
Reacted badly to boycott , opposing it in anyway possible . High ranking officials started to join .
How many MIA officials were arrested in February 1956?
89 including MLK
When did the MIA officials appear on trial after their arrest?
March 19 1956 , more fundraising and support due to mlk arrest
When was browder vs gayle filed?
February 1956, a violation against the 14 amendment
When did the trial start and end?
May 11 - June 5 1956
What was the verdict of the trial on June 5 1956?
There was to be desegregation . The bus company appealed but was declined and integration took place the next day .
How publicity helped the montgomery bus boycott succeed?
- car pools
- MIA meetings kept the people involved
- leaflets ,church services , local press
How commitment helped the montgomery bus boycott succeed?
-persisted even after bombs, threats , loss of jobs and going to jail.
How organisation helped the montgomery bus boycott succeed?
Mia co-ordinated everything.
Why Rosa parks was important?
Respectable woman that emphasises the injustice. She got lots of support from black people due to her status
Who were the SCLC?
-southern christian leadership
Rev. Martin luther king was its leader
-urged blacks to oppose with peaceful protest
-helped black people register to vote
Goals of the SCLC?
- mass action
- rejects and protest all forms of segregation
- use non violent direct action tactics
- black and white membership
Did the montgomery bus boycott achieve its aim?
- policy wise it did , stopped segregation , black drivers allowed
- socially it lead to more hateful rhetoric and action.
When was the civil rights act ?
1957
What was president eisenhowers view on the civil rights act?
Reluctant, wanted to change the mindset rather than the policy
- believed it was unconstitutional to force people
How did white southerners try to bloc the civil rights act?
- fiercely opposed any people supporting the bill
- kept making congress revise the bill
What were the strengths of the civil rights act of 1957?
- Allowed federal courts to prosecute state violations
- positive step forward
- helped prosecute anybody denying citizens their rights
What were the weaknesses of the civil rights act 1957?
- usually an all white jury so legislation doesn’t make a difference
- still white backlash
- shower power of opposition
Why MLK was important?
- educated , allowed him to strategise and establish clear goals. He also appealed to white community
- passionate, very motivating . Able to rally the black community by doing speeches.
- peaceful, wanted peaceful resistance as he knew retaliation would be used as negative propaganda by the media.
- leadership, able to appeal to everybody. Respected by the black children.
5 reasons why the montgomery bus boycott was significant?
- brought MLK to spotlight
- blacks being attacked by whites helped campaign
- blacks could organise effective mass resistance and receive wide spread support
- non violent ruled clearly laid out
- showed importance of publicity
