Little Rock

• When was Little Rock?

  September 1957
• Causes of Little Rock?

  • after brown decision 9 children were due to start at Little Rock High School
  • 3rd September - were meant to enter school together but Elizabeth Eckford didn't get the message as she didn't have a phone
• What happened with Little Rock?

  • night before school Orval Faubus went on tv and predicted if the 9 went to school "blood would run in the streets"
  • Eckford walked against white mobs that sneered and attacked the 9
  • Faubus declared duty to prevent disorder arising from integration and ordered Arkansas national guard to keep them out
• What was the outcome of Little Rock?

  • forced to integrate by Ike 1957 but Faubus chose to close the school instead
  • wasn't until 1972 before all of Little Rock's schools were integrated
  • incident showed how much resistance there was to Brown decision at a local level
• What was Ike's response to Little Rock?

  • chose to intervene as it had embarrassed him
  • federal district court insisted Little Rock be desegrated but Faubus ignored it
  • Ike summoned Faubus to DC and gave impression he would integrate Little Rock himself