Civil Rights in the USA Flashcards
What was the KKK
The kkk was first formed in 1866, aiming to prevent african american from voting and having an all white government.
Jim Crow Laws
- After losing the civil war, the south was put under the supervision of the north. Lasted from 1865-77.
- They were meant to isolate African Americans and make them inferior to the white community.
- Supreme court said that the Jim Crow Laws were constitutional. “Separate but equal”
How did the Jim Crow Laws affect black people?
Pay gaps, segregated jobs, segregated educational facilities, segregated transport, poll tax, grandfather clause, literacy test.
Brown vs Topeka
1954, Racial segregation in schools violated the equal protection clause in the 14t amendment
Impact of Brown vs Topeka
- Encouraged civil rights campaigns
- new legal precedent
- more desegregation cases
- Schools that provided a good education closed
- Teachers lost their jobs
- students found integrating difficult
- kkk became more extreme
- violence against african americans increased
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Period when Black Americans decided to not use the bus due to segregated seating and the Rosa Parks case
Started 5th December 1955 and ended 381 days later
In the beginning black taxi companies charged lower fees
The MIA then began organising a car-pooling system that was useful to everyone.
Successes and unsuccesses of boycott
Successes:
- Showed a form of a legal non-violent protest
- Inspired many cr campaigns
- Showed that Black Americans could organise themselves
failures:
-All other facilities remained segregated
Led to change in a small area
Increase of white supremacy groups memberships
Increase in violence towards African American community
Bombings of Black churches and houses of Civil Rights leaders
Greensboro sit ins
February 1st 1960
4 African American students sat at a white only counter in Woolworth’s department store.
They stayed there until closing time and came back the next day
More students joined and sit-ins were happening all over the country
White segregationists often abused and provoked them but they didn’t move
The freedom riders
They would sit side by side on interstate buses from Washington DC to the deep South.
They wanted to test the 1960 Supreme Court decision that interstate buses should be integrated.
They would board buses that headed South and sit next to the opposite race.
They refused to get up
The Birmingham peace Marches
- 1963
- Achieved integration of montgomery buses
- Over 1000 african american students attempted to march into downtown Birmingham.
- Hundreds were arrested
March on washington
- 1963
- For jobs and freedom
- drew over 200 000 people
- Forcing to introduce a federal civil rights bill in congress
March on Selma
- 1965
- For voting rights
- marched to reclaim voting rights
- protestors were attacked
Black Power movement
Aimed to empower the black community and improve the socio-economic conditions of black communities without the assistance of white americans (influenced by malcom x)
