The methods employed by civil rights movements in the United States across the period

Question 1

What were the main methods employed by civil rights movements?

Answer 1

Political agitation, mass action and boycotts

Question 2

What was the purpose of boycotts?

Answer 2

Boycotts robbed the white power structure of its ability to violently crush the movement without serious repercussions because of non violent nature

Question 3

Examples of boycotts?

Answer 3

1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott
+ 1960 Student Sit Ins

Question 4

What did the Montgomery Bus Boycott lead to?

Answer 4

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) → Formation of the MIA (led by MLK to coordinate the protest) → MIA supported legal case Browder v. Gayle → Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional (1956)

Question 5

What was the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Answer 5

Lasted over a year which shows the power of the non violent, sustained protest

Brought MLK into national prominence as a powerful leader and speaker, laying the foundation for his future leadership

Led to the Supreme Court ruling in 1956 that bus segregation was unconstitutional, setting legal precedent

Became a blueprint for later civil rights protests (e.g. sit-ins, Freedom Rides) and showed that legal + direct action could work together to achieve change

Question 6

What was the significance of the 1960 student sit ins?

Answer 6

Led to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Shifted the movement’s momentum to young Black students, who became central to direct action against segregation like freedom rides and summer

Sparked a wave of similar protests across the South, pressuring businesses and towns to desegregate lunch counters and public facilities. They removed social order and led to more violence

Question 7

What was the signifcance of political agitation and mass action?

Answer 7

Galvanized national support for civil rights, leading to significant legislative changes

Generated leverage to overthrow Jim Crow laws by collapsing social order and generating violence that was captured by media and brought attention

(over 83% American households owned tv sets → millions watched black protests through these)

Question 8

Examples of political agitation and mass action?

Answer 8

1963: Birmingham and Alabama confrontation

1965: Selma and Alabama confrontation

Question 9

Significance of Birmingham Movement?

Answer 9

Goal was to generate national legislation that would invalidate racial segregation

Was very visible and effective so led to more movements:
→ Following the confrontation, 758 demonstrations occurred in 186 cities across south
→ 14, 733 arrested

Pressured federal government to end Jim Crow laws and introduce the 1964 Civil Rights Act - outlawing all forms of racial segrgation and discrimination

Question 10

Significance of Selma Movement?

Answer 10

Exposed the violent suppression of Black voting rights in the South

→ over 2,600 demonstrators jailed
→ catalyst for March 21: thousands of people visbly marched from Selma to Montgomery
→ Two northern whites and local black murded

Led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned discriminatory practices like literacy tests and empowered federal oversight of elections