Birmingham Campaign Flashcards
1
Q
When was the Birmingham Campaign?
A
1963
2
Q
Why did Civil Rights leaders target Birmingham?
A
- Had a stronghold of white supremacy
- Knew violent police cheif, Bull Connor, would react harshly
- Sit-ins and boycotts were ignored
- KKK membership was high
- So much violence towards Blacks that it was named ‘Bombingham’
3
Q
What is the context of 1963?
A
- 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation
- Painful realisation that desegregation was taking place very slowly and only in very few places in the South
4
Q
What was Project C?
A
- C for confrontation
- A plan that involved daily marches and demonstrations
5
Q
How did Project C play out?
A
- Mass arrests, including children
- Connor’s violent response: used dogs and water cannons
- Captured on TV, shocking viewers
6
Q
What made the campaign impactful?
A
- Forced Kennedy to act
- Sending a civil rights bill to Congress
