Civil Rights - Protests (1960-65) Flashcards
How did the federal government eventually support the freedom riders?
Offered federal support to enforce desegregation if the states did not obey.
How many more black Americans were registered to vote in Mississippi after the Freedom Summer?
1,600
The Selma protested coincided with Johnson’s call for what?
The Voting Rights Act
How did Johnson support the Selma campaign?
Federal troops escorted marchers from Selma to Montgomery
How did SNCC and CORE support the sit-ins?
Trained students in non-violent principles and how to cope with harassment.
What university did James Meredith re-apply to and when?
University of Mississippi in 1962.
What was the response to James Meredith attending Mississippi?
Met with an armed mob of 3,000 on the first day.
What was the name of the racist police chief who could easily be proved into using violence with peaceful protestors?
Eugene “Bull” Connor
When the jails were full what did Bull Connor use on the marchers?
Dogs and fire hoses
What was the aim of the freedom summer (1964)?
To increase black voter registration in Mississippi.
What happened to 3 CORE volunteers on the 21st of June 1964?
Murdered by the KKK
When was the Civil Rights Act passed?
1964
When was the Voting Rights act passed?
1965
What was the aim of the freedom rides?
To desegregate interstate buses and facilities.
Which group organised violent opposition to the freedom riders?
KKK and White Citizens Council
What did the 4 black college students do to protest against segregation in Greensboro 1960?
Sat at an all-white lunch counter (Woolworths) and refused to leave.
How many students - black and white - had joined the Greensboro sit-in by the 5th day?
300
How were the protesters at Woolworth’s treated by the counter-protestors?
Sworn at, insulted, spat at and had food thrown at them.
How did Woolworths react to the protestors?
Initially closed the store down but eventually forced to desegregate.
Which organisation was introduced after the success of the sit-ins?
Student Non-violent Co-ordinating Centre (SNCC)
What was the wider response to the sit-ins?
Sympathy for protestors - many Americans horrified at the violent response to them.
What was the name given to the activists who challenged segregation on interstate buses?
Freedom riders.
Which organisation was behind the freedom rides?
CORE
How did the freedom riders challenge segregation?
Black and white students sat in the wrong areas of the bus.
What was the racist’s reaction to the freedom riders?
Beatings, firebombs, mob attacks.
What did Bull Connor order the police not to do when a mob attacked the Freedom riders in Birmingham?
Ordered them not to intervene to help the freedom riders.
What was the FBI’s reaction to the KKK attacks on freedom riders?
Decided not to arrest any KKK members.
How did JFK support the freedom riders?
Promised to enforce the desegregation of interstate buses and facilities.
Which federal body intervened to force UoM to accept Merdith?
Supreme Court
What did JFK do when UoM physically prevented Meredith from entering?
Sent 320 federal marshals to escort Meredith to campus.
What happened when Meredith registerd?
A riot broke out (2 people killed)
How long were troops protecting Meredith for?
3 years (until he graduated)
Which city did MLK describe as the most segregated city in the US?
Birmingham, Alabama
Who was the police chief of Birmingham?
Eugene “bull” Connor
Why did MLK suspect there would be a violent reaction to his campaign in Birmingham?
‘Bull’ Connor had used violence against peaceful protestors before (freedom riders)
Why did MLK want a violent reaction to non-violent protests?
Media attention and sympathy for protestors.
What are 4 examples of non-violent protests used in Birmingham?
Sit-ins
Boycotts
Marches
Mass meetings
How many children were arrested for joining the marches in Birmingham?
900
What did Connor order police to do to try to get rid of the Birmingham protestors?
Set huge water cannons and dogs on the protestors.
How did wider America react to the media coverage of the violence towards protestors at Birmingham?
Sympathetic to protestors.
When was the Birmingham campaign?
1963
When was the march on Washington?
1963
What was the purpose of the Washington march?
Pressure for Civil Rights Bill
What civil rights groups were involved in organising the Washington march?
NAACP, CORE, SNCC, SCLC
How many people attended the Washington march?
250,000
What speech was made at Washington and by whom?
MLK - ‘I have a dream’
What was the name given to pop-up schools for black school children designed to address racial inequalities?
Freedom schools
Who ran freedom schools?
Volunteers (including 1000 white college students)
How did the KKK react to freedom schools?
Burned crosses, churches and homes and attacked volunteers.
When and where was the Freedom summer?
Mississippi - 1964
What happened to the 3 freedom summer activists when they arrived in Mississippi?
Murdered by the KKK following tip-off from police.
What 3 ways did both JFK and Johnson support civil rights?
Appointed black Americans to high-level government jobs.
Backed the civil rights bill
Sent in federal troops to enforce desegregation.
What was the name of Johnson’s series of programmes that aimed at ending poverty and racial injustice?
Greater Society
Name 3 achievements of the Civil Rights Act.
- Banned segregation of public facilities.
- Outlawed racial discrimination in employment.
- Set up an organisation to enforce desegregation.
Name 3 limitations of Civil Rights Act.
- Did not address black voting rights in the south.
- Did not address low wages and poor housing for black Americans
- 58% of black children still remained in segregated schools by 1968.
What percentage of Selma’s population were black?
50%
What percentage of Selma’s black population were registered to vote?
1%
What was the name of Selma’s hardliner police chief?
Jim Clark
How many protestors marched from Selma to Montogomery?
600
What was the event known as ‘Bloody Sunday’?
On Sunday, marchers were attacked with tear gas and clubs and then forced back to Selma.
How did Johnson help with Selma?
He ordered the state national guard to escort the marchers from Selma to Montgomery.
How many people attended the second Selma march led by MLK?
25,000
Name 2 things the Voting Rights Act achieved?
Outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes as requirement to vote.
Set up body to monitor voter registration.
Out of 13 Southern states, how many had fewer than 50% of black citizens registered to vote by 1966?
4
When was the greensboro sit-in?
1960
How many people joined the greensboro protest within 3 days?
300
Who was the SNCC (Student non-violent coordinating committee) set up by?
SCLC and CORE.
What was the SNCC?
Trained students to do sit-ins
What did the greensboro sit-ins show for publicity?
Showed publicity was important in gaining supporters.
Showed non-violent methods to be the most effective way to gain the side of the media.
What did the Supreme Court declare in December 1960?
That all state transport and facilities should be desegregated.
Who tried to test the Supreme Courts statement in 1960?
13 CORE activists by riding 2 buses from Washington DC to the South.
What happened when the freedom riders got to Anniston, Alabama?
100 KKK members attacked and firebombed the bus, nearly killing everyone inside.
State one consequence of the freedom riders for the US GOV.
Huge embarrassment from government as state policemen such as Bull Connor had supported the act.
What did the Federal government say in response to freedom rides?
It would use federal officers to enforce desegregation - facilities began to desegregate.
How many freedom rides were there?
60
How big was the mob that attacked Meredith when registering?
3000 people
How many federal officers were sent to protect Meredith when registering?
500
How did the governor of Missipipi and university officials respond to the order of the supreme court?
Ignored it - they were WCC members.
When was the Birmingham campaign and march on washington?
1963
How many people attended march on Washington?
250,000 about 40,000 were white.
How many black people had registered to vote in the south between 1962 and 1964?
700,000 - still not very much compared to the number of black people who lived there.
What did the SNCC do to increase voter registration in the south?
Sent 1000 volunteers to Mississippi to increase black voter registration.
Why was Birmingham chosen?
- Total segregation
- Bull connor
Who was the CRA introduced and passed by?
Introduced by Kennedy - passed by Johnson.
When was the voting rights act signed?
6th August 1965
By December 1965 how many new voters registered?
80,000 - but it was very slow, led to frustration that the government weren’t doing enough.
What still happened despite the passing of the CRA and VRA?
Still discrimination in education, housing and employment.
How did Kennedy help CR?
Sent federal troops to help Meredith.
Supported freedom riders with escorts.
What did Johnson do?
Passed CRA and VRA
Federal troops for selma marchers.
Good relations with Dixiecrats - meant that he could get CRA pushed through.
What was the percentage of black people in Selma were registered to vote?
1%
Evidence for Selma to be a racist area.
Largest WCC in Alabama.
When was Selma?
1965
What happened on the 7th March 1965?
Protestors marched from Selma to Montgomery.
What was the freedom summer?
A project aimed at increasing the number of registered black American voters in the state of Mississipp
