Key Topic 1: The development of the civil rights movement, 1954-60 Flashcards
what system of government does the USA have?
federal system
what is a federal system of government?
one that divides the powers of government between the national government, and state and local government
what was the name of the laws that segregated black Americans in the southern states?
Jim Crow Laws
what were the 2 civil rights organisations by 1950s?
-national association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP)
-congress of racial equality (CORE)
what year was the NAACP created?
1909
what did the NAACP focus on?
focused on fighting for civil rights in the courts
what year was CORE created?
1942
what did CORE focus on?
focused on using non-violent direct action protests e.g boycotts
how did some Southern states make it harder for black americans to vote?
impossible literacy tests, violence, poll-tax and threats of unemployment
what year was the Brown V Topeka case?
1954
what did the 1896 Plessy V Ferguson case say?
‘separate but equal’
which civil rights group campaigned for the Brown case?
NAACP
by 1957 how many black students attended desegregated schools?
300,000
by 1957 how many black students in southern states still attended segregated schools?
2.4 million
what year was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) created?
1865
what were the aims of the KKK?
to stop black americans from gaining equality
what did members of the KKK see themselves as?
WASPS - white anglo saxon protestants, they saw themselves as racially superior and were white supremacists
where did the KKK mainly operate?
southern states e.g mississippi and alabama
what were the main policies of the KKK?
fear and intimidation - through beatings, mutilations, lynchings, murder, economic discrimination and maintaining strict segregation
who were the ‘Dixiecrats’?
they were a splinter group from the Democratic party made up of southern politicians which had strong views about keeping segregation
when were White Citizens councils created?
1954
what were the aims of the White Citizens Councils?
to preserve segregation and prevent desegregation
by mid 1950s how many members did the White Citizens Councils have?
around 60,000
what were the methods of the White Citizens Councils?
they protested and used violence/ intimidation
what was the Southern manifesto?
a document attached to the Brown decision and encouraged states to resist segregation
what was a filibuster?
politicians delaying the passing of bills by speaking for so long that the time limit is passed
what year was the murder of Emmett Till?
1955
when was Rosa Parks arrested for not giving up her seat on a segregated bus?
1st December 1955
Which council began to prepare for a one day boycott of the montgomery busses?
women’s political council
what percentage of black people who normally rode the buses boycotted them on 5th december 1955?
90%
what organisation was created to co-ordinate the bus boycott on the evening of 5th december 1955?
Montgomery improvement association (MIA)
why was Martin Luther King elected as leader of the MIA?
made an inspirational speech at the rally advocating non-violence
what method (other than walking) did the MIA use to ensure bus boycotters got to work?
car pooling system - began 12th December 1955
when was Martin Luther Kings house bombed gaining the boycott publicity and sympathy?
30th January 1956
what was the name of the case taken by the NAACP on 1st February to the Supreme Court to try to desegregate the buses?
Browder vs Gayle
when did the MIA stop the boycott which integrated buses beginning the next day?
20th December 1956
what were the main reasons for the success of the Montgomery bus boycott?
-economics
-organisations e.g MIA
-supreme court
-publicity + media
when was the first civil rights act in over 80 years passed?
1957
what was the aim of the 1957 civil rights act?
to increase the number black american voters
