Montgomery Bus Boycott and its impact Flashcards
What happened on the 1 December 1955?
In Montgomery Rosa Parks got on a bus after work
the buses were segregated so black had to sit at the back on separate seats “coloured seats”
What did Rosa do and what were the consequences?
the white rows were full and one white man was standing up in order for him to get a seat the bus driver made the black people who were sat on their row to get up for this man they all got up except Rosa the driver called the police and she was arrested
What normally happened if someone refused to get up/What was the significance of Rosa?
they would drive to the nearest pay phone told everyone to sit down and rang the police
but what Rosa did lead to a bus boycott which lasted 381 days.Boycott ended when buses were desegregated
What was the long term cause of the boycott?
The women political council set up in Montgomery in 1946 to fight discrimination had focused on bus reforms and asked for the changes to the issue of drivers and empty seats
What was the significance of Rosa Parks?
she was respectable and a regarded black women her opponents could not say a bad word against her
she was Secretary of Montgomery NAACP and the leader of its youth council.she was trained how to react in a non violent way
What was the MIA
Montgomery Improvement Association
set up a meeting on the 5 December and it aims were to
improve black people lives
continue bus boycott
pressurise for improvements
Why was M.L King choses as leader of MIA
he was new in Montgomery had no enemies
he was a clergyman so black community respected him paid by the church no threats of loosing his job
educated and believed in civil rights
he supported it through non-violent actions
When was the first event for the boycott?
8 December MIA met bus company officials who refused to change policy they decided to continue the boycott but
bus company knew some people would not be able to walk to work due to illnesses
What did they do instead of going on buses?
The MIA set up a carpool system and began on 12 December they had well over 300 cars
What were the effects of the boycott?
faced violence/harassment
some lost their job
long walk in all weathers
BUT it bought publicity and fundraising for MIA which kept them going
What did people do to show opposition?
On the 30 Jan in 1956 they bombed King home with his wife and child in they also burned other homes and churches
How were the MIA arrested/
on minor charges like speeding this increased in 1956
22 Feb 89 including King were arrested for disrupting lawful business due to the boycott
What happened at the end of the trial?
they went to jail and appeared on trial on 19 march
they bought evidence of abuse including murder inflicted white drivers publicity increased and King was guilty and had to pay a fine of $5000
What was the Browder Vs Gayle court case?
1 February 1956 the NAACP lawyer filed Browder v Gayle against bus segregation as a violation of the 14th Amendment
once the case was filed the MIA held meetings and agreed to demand for desegregation
What was the supreme court decision?
Browder Vs Gayle
trial was on 11 May
5 June the court stated that buses should be desegregated
bus company appealed to supreme court but on November 13 the court upheld the earlier decision and second appeal was rejected on 17 December
What happened on the 20 December 1956?
The MIA stopped the boycott and integrated bus services began the next day
Why was the boycott successful?
publicity; leaflets were handed out as soon as it started
organisation;Existing groups in Montgomery already had contacts including press
Commitment;despite threat and bombing they were persistent
Who were the main people in the MIA?
MLK Jo Ann Robinson, E.D Nixon, Ralph David Abernathy
Who was Jo Ann Robinson?
president oof WPC
Since 1954 she wrote to Mayor Gale about the problem black people faced on the bus
was one of those who suggested the one-day boycott
she wrote the flyers and she and her students handed them out
Who was E.D Nixon?
NAACP member
campaigned for civil rights for many years before the boycott
Rosa Parks called Nixon when she was arrested
he helped set up the boycott and went on fundraising tours
well respected but was not educated
Who is Ralph David Abernathy?
clergyman + NAACP member
worked closely with King
providing organisation to back up King call for action
Took charge as MIA leader when king left
Why was the boycott important?
Showed that black people could organise mass resistance
MLK was in the spotlight
it was were rules of non violent actions ahd been laid out
What happened after the boycott?
White backlash continued
MIA leader house were bombed WCC members were arrested for the bombing but were cleared by all-white jury
shots were being fired at the black when on buses
buses were suspended for a week
Who were the Dixiecrats?
opposed any bill supporting civil rights for black Americans
Dixiecrats spoke for 24 hours and 18 mins in a filibuster to prevent the first vote on the bill to be passed through
What was the civil rights act in 1957?
signed on 9 sept
allowed federal courts to prosecute state violations of voting rights
What did the Southern Christian Leadership Council(SCLC) do?
set up in January 1957
to coordinate church based protest across the south
What were the key features of SCLC?
all segregation to be rejected and protested against
non-violent direct actions
mass action
What di the SCLC do in terms of voter registration?
centered around voter registration
they needed enough black voters in the south to have an impact on 1958 and 1960 election
they trained people for the voter registration test
