Civil Rights Movement Topic 1

Question 1

Justification of Jim Crow Laws?

Answer 1

Seperate but equal

Question 2

Brown vs Topeka?

Answer 2

5 cases challenging segregation in schools:
Oliver Brown from Topeka argued his daughter had to travel much further to go to the black school, NAACP’s lawyer aimed to show it was agianst 14th ammendment, Psychologist confirmed it damaged children

Question 3

Verdit of Brown vs Topeka (1954)

Answer 3

Ruled against segregated schools, no timescale for desgregation but Brown ll (1955) ruling stated with all deliberate speed - no set date still

Question 4

Why wasn’t Brown vs Topeka (1954/55) a total success?

Answer 4

By 1957, less than 12% of 6300 school districts were desegregated in the south
In 1964, Supreme Court had to state “forthwith”

Question 5

Sit ins - NVDA

Answer 5

Woolworths, Greenboro, Alabama 1960, organised by students, applauded by king, inspired bus boycott

Question 6

Freedom rides - May 1961 - Organised by CORE.

Answer 6

13 black and white students boarded buses throughout the South to protest segregation on buses.
Angry mob threw a bomb on the bus.
Police chief ‘Bull’ Connor didn’t arrange police protection at the bus station, using the excuse that it was Mothers’ Day.

Question 7

Birmingham campaign 1963 SCLC

Answer 7

Very racist city, specifically targetted due to Eugene “Bull” Connor, King wanted to exploit his actions to the media
protests used children
dogs were set on them
MLK was arrested

Question 8

March on Washington 1963

Answer 8

for Jobs and Freedom
“I Have a Dream” speech
NAACP & SCLC put aside thier rivalry
More than 200,000 black and white americans attended

Question 9

Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964 aimed to improve black voter registration because..

Answer 9

One of the most racist and segregated states of the south

Impossible literacy tests & violence prevented black voting

Question 10

What happened at Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964?

Answer 10

SNCC sent 1,000 volunteers
The volunteers were mostly white from well off families. Campaigners knew that violence against whites would attract news coverage.
6 civil rights workers were killed, others were beaten or arrested.
60 black homes, businesses and churches were bombed.

Question 11

Selma March

Answer 11

selma to montgomery to demand voting rights, attacked by troops with tear gas.

Question 12

Why Selma?

Answer 12

only 23 black voters out of the 15000 blacks, MLK knew Sheriff Jim Clark would react in violenve

Question 13

Results of Selma

Answer 13

Tv coverage : bloody sunday

LBJ intervened and supplied federal troops to escort marchers, he then passed 1965 voting rights act

Question 14

What did MLK do

Answer 14

Bus boycott
Set up SCLC
NVDA
Speeches
Bham protest, Selma & March on Washington

Question 15

Criticisms of MLK

Answer 15

controversial figure - children in Bham protest
too willing to work with white society
disorganised
taking too much credit
personal life

Question 16

Malcolm X

Answer 16

Poor background, experienced violence, KKK tried to burn his parents’ house down and eventually did do it, became a Muslim in prison

Question 17

MLK changing priorities

Answer 17

poor ghetto conditions