The development of the civil rights

• How was segregation caused in the north and south

  • in the north segregation was caused by discrimination.
  • they had the worst houses and jobs
  • whilst in the south segregation was caused by laws
  • where white and black people had to use seperate facilities
• What are segregation laws called?

  • Jim crow -meaning the laws had to be separate but equal
  • this was supported by the court case Plessy v Ferguson 1896
• How were black people viewed in the south?

  • as inferior
  • klu klux klan was a racist group who attacked non-white people
  • many police officers and judges were members of it
• What was voting like for black people

  • white gangs attacked people at the voting place
  • they were given literacy tests which were very hard
  • grandfather clause- where the voters had to prove that their forefathers had voted
  • for descendants of slaves it was impossible
  • some were also sacked from their jobs if they tried to vote
• Why did the civil rights movement grow?

  • research showed that segregation harmed black children
  • cold war made the US government more sensitive to critism from other countries
  • television made people more aware of racial inequality
• Who are the NAACP?

  • they focused on fight for civil rights in the court
  • they challenged the Plessy vs Ferguson by showing that facilities were not equal
  • even if they were equal they still harmed black people's chance in life
• Who are core?

  • they focused on fighting for civil rights through non violent protests
  • so they done boycotts, sit ins to get publicity
• What did church organization do?

  What did the regional organization of Negro leadership do?

  • they focused on non violent approaches and forgiveness
  • they campaigned for black rights and also encouraged voters registration
  • so they held rallies
• What did students do?

  • universities were also the sites of protest and rallies
  • students would speak up
• What happened to Emmett till?

  • was a black teen from Mississippi that was murdered in 1955
  • as he allegedly made sexual comments to a local shop owners wife
  • it got publicity as at his funeral his mother done an open casket where people could see his horrific injury
  • people were very angry as his murder was cleared of all charges
• What were the political opposition to the civil rights?

  • Dixiecrats who were southern democrats politicians who strongly believed in segregation
  • many of them were in congress so they were able to block laws which gave black people rights
  • many governors and mayors supported segregation
  • therefore it was hard for black people to get justice
• What was the Brown case?

  • in 1952 Brown took a case to the supreme court which was called Brown vs the Board of Education
  • which argued that segregation schools went against the 14th Amendment(equal citizenship for all)
  • as a girl called Linda Brown had to go to a black school which was further away from the nearest white school
• What was the result of the Brown case?

  • the supreme court ruled that it was unconstitutional and schools must therefore desegregate
  • however there was no specific time up until 1955 were schools were told to desegregate with deliberate speed
• Why was the Brown case important?

  • it reversed the Plessy ruling and led to more legal cases for desegregation
  • it also increased awareness of civil rights issues
• What was the negatives to the Brown case?

  • members of the kkk grew more violent towards black families
  • some schools in the south refused to desegregate
  • some southern states signed the south manifesto where they rejected the Brown ruling
  • there was also racism in integrated school
• Who were little rock nine?

  • they were the only black children that were willing to go to little rock school in Arkansas in 1957
  • there were meant to be 25 but due to threats most did not want to go
• What happened to little rock nine on their first day of school?

  • the governor of Arkansas sent in 250 state troops to stop the black children from going to school
  • they children were supposed to arrive together which was planned by NAACP
  • but Elizabeth Eckford did not know so when she arrived she was attacked by angry mob
• So what did President Eisenhower do?

  • he forced the governor to remove his troops
  • he also signed a presidential order to send troops to protect little rock nine
  • the troops stayed until the end of the term
  • however the governor of Arkansas closed down the school to stop integration from happening
• What led to the Montgomery bus boycott?

  • In December 1955 Rosa parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white man
  • so the WPC (women political council) organized a one day boycott of buses
  • it was successful and 90% of black people who usually took buses boycotted them
• What happened a few days later after the one day bus boycott?

  • The MIA was set up (Montgomery improvement organization) and Martin Luther King was the chosen leader
  • because he was well educated, a clergyman and also believed in non violent action
• What opposition did the boycott face?

  • bus companies did not want to change their policies so the MIA continued to boycott
  • they arranged carpool so black people could still go to work
  • boycotters faced violence MLK house was bombed
  • in 1956 89 MIA members were arrested , MLK was found guilty and had to pay a fine of $500
• What court case did the bus Boycott lead to?

  • 1956 NAACP took the case to court it was called Browder vs Gayle
  • the aim was to desegrated Montgomery bus
  • the court decided that bus should be desegregated
  • MIA stopped the bus boycott in December 1956
• Why was the bus boycott successful?

  • commitment/community- 90% black people stopped using buses, showing unity
  • and they continued even though there were threats and violence
  • organization/significant individuals- The MIA organized carpool and daily meetings.
  • MLK was an excellent speaker and organiser
• What other reasons for why the bus boycott was successful?

  • publicity- it attracted international media attention which raised awareness
  • there were leaflets, church services and local press so people new about the boycott
  • economic impact- bus companies lost 65% of their income since more riders were Black American
  • so there was financial pressure
  • court case- Browder vs Gayle that declared segregation was unconstitutional