Civil Rights Movement IB History Exam

Who is Emmett Till and what happened to him?

- 14 year old African American boy from Chicago came to Mississippi -Went to the store and "flirted" with a white woman -White woman's husband and his brother found Till and beat him, shot him, and threw his body in the river

What Supreme Court decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson?

Brown vs Board of Education: racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional

What was achieved through the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin

Describe the Southern reaction to desegregation and voter registration drives.

violence: several freedom summer volunteers were killed, intimidation, literacy tests, and poll taxes were used to keep blacks from voting

Why was Emmett Till murdered?

- It was taboo for black men to indicate any desire for a white women

What is the Southern Christian Leadership Conference?

- MLK formed the organization - Led attacks on segregration - King was the movement's most influential speaker until his assassination

What violence resulted from the Freedom Summer Project?

- One black and two white civil rights activists were killed and local all-white juries refused to convict those who were guilty

What happened as a result of Emmett Till's murder?

- The issue gained national attention and instigated momentum in the Civil Rights Movement

How did the Kennedy Administration impact the Civil Rights Movement?

- goals for civil rights outpaced actions - Kennedy sent federal marshals to protect the Freedom Riders but agreed with local authorities that they would be arrested afterwards -sent troops to Ole Miss so that James Meredith could enroll without fear of white protesters - Intended on the passage of the Civil Rights act of 1960, but he was murdered beforehand -did not consistently support CRM

How successful has the Civil Rights movement been in the United States?

- segregated seating was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court -United States Supreme Court made segregation illegal in public schools -President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law. It allowed federal prosecution of anyone who tried to prevent someone from voting -Civil Rights Act of 1964: guaranteed equal employment for all, limited the use of voter literacy tests and allowed federal authorities to ensure public facilities were integrated. -Voting Rights Act of 1965: banned all voter literacy tests and provided federal examiners in certain voting jurisdictions.

Passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 changed little in the lives of blacks in the United States. Why was this so and what factors in the 1960's finally brought change?

-Because of decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, which declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional in 1883. The court also said Congress lacked the constitutional authority under the 14th Amendment to grant equal protections under the law to blacks, stating that only states and local governments could do that. It also passed a ruling stating that the Enforcement Act of 1871, which forbade meetings of Ku Klux Klan members, was unconstitutional. -Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965. Southern states and private citizens could no longer deprive African Americans the rights to equal facilities and to vote without unfair impediments.

What were the Lunch Sit-Ins?

-Black students in SNCC started sit-ins at Southern lunch counters - Attempted to force integration in public accommodations

What happened at the bus boycott in Montgomery?

-Blacks boycotted the segregated Montgomery bus system under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -King ensured that national media covered the boycotts, which made it difficult for whites to intimidate black boycotters -Supreme Court found that AL's racial segregation laws were unconstitutional

What were the Freedom Rides?

-CORE, under leadership of James Farmer, used Freedom Rides in attempts to end segregation in facilities serving interstate bus passengers -White mob destroyed Freedom Ride bus in Alabama and beat up Attorney General's personal representative at the scene -Southern officials refused to end violence, so Kennedy's sent Federal Marshals to protect the Freedom Riders

What is the difference between de jure segregation and de facto segregation?

-De jure segregation (segregation by law): "Separate but equal" Jim Crow laws -De facto segregation (segregation by practice): blacks voluntarily segregating themselves and accommodating to societal norms

What was the result of the Freedom Rides?

-Interstate Commerce Commission enforced ban against segregation in interstate travel

How successful were United States governmental institutions in advancing Civil Rights for African Americans after 1945?

-Legal gains but no social gains -Civil Rights Act of 1957: President Eisenhower, only trying to guarantee that government would be making an effort -Civil Rights Act of 1960: President Kennedy, assassinated before passage and he was distracted by the Cold War -Civil Rights Act of 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson, continuing JFK's active role in Civil Rights, was supposed to cut all segregation within the country, but still left "Jim Crow Laws" on a state level states always found a way to be racist -Did nothing for social reactions outside of the Bill; African Americans still faced oppression and discrimination even directly following the signing of the Bills -Even today, the KKK and White Supremacy is still active -There really were no more major movements (concerning CRM) following the 60's -Not unsimilar to the Reconstruction Era, following the Civil War, it simply died down in terms of legal action, despite the ongoing turmoil -Other movements took over; Feminist Movement, Green Movement, and the ongoing Cold War plus the fear of spreading Communism (McCarthyism)

Violence in response to movement?

-Medgar Evers, president of Mississippi NAACP, was assassinated -An explosion in a Baptist church in Birmingham, AL killed 4 young black girls

What happened at the Integration of Ole Miss?

-President Kennedy sent troops to the University, so that James Meredith (an African American) could enroll in the school without fear of white protests

What happened at the March on Washington?

-Quarter of million whites and blacks marched in Washington, D.C. demanding black equality -"I Have A Dream Speech" by Martin Luther King given at the Lincoln Memorial

What instigated the bus boycott?

-Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a bus in Montgomery, Alabama

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the Civil Rights Movement make significant progress in the period 1950 to 1964?

-The Civil Rights movement made significant progress from 1950 to 1964 in the popularization of the movement, creation of interstate Civil Rights initiatives, and the legislation of Civil protections. -Creation of Interstate Initiatives: 1950's and 1960's witnessed the rise of several effective leaders. -Powerful and passionate leaders such as Martin Luther King, Fred Shuttlesworth, James Farmer, etc. -Formed organizations to lead and organize African American activists: SCLC, SNCC -1963: King writes his Letter from a Birmingham jail -Organizing international non-violent movement Bus Boycott (1955-1956): Integration of public transportation in Montgomery. -Freedom Rides (1961): travelling through the South to desegregate interstate transportation -Integration of public schools (1952-1954): collect cases from all over the South for the Supreme Court case -Freedom Summer: registering African American voters in Mississippi using volunteers from all over the country (1964) -Sit-in: Greensboro (1960) and Nashville (1960): same style of protest occurs states apart, due to communication between civil rights leaders and dedication to nonviolence -Cooperation between the organization and activist. -Freedom rides was initiated by CORE but was supported by NAACP. After the first Freedom ride ended in failure, the movement was carried on by SNCC -Popularization -As the 50s became the 60s, more Americans became aware of the Civil Rights movement in the South -The media covered more and more about the movement as events of significant tragedy occurred: Covering the sit-in movement, Covering the Freedom Rides, Covering Birmingham Marches (1963), Police brutality (1963), Church bombing (1963) -The attention of the local, national, and international press drew eyes and pressure to the American South, and pressured the federal administration for action -Northerners felt sympathetic to the movement, and supported from afar -A lot of Northerners (white and black) came down to the South for initiatives: Freedom Riders include men from the North, Freedom Summer takes college students and the famously missing three men from the North - Legislation Civil Rights Bills While the first two attempts were weak and open to compromise the final version in 1964 made significant impact on civil rights protection 1957- added civil rights division to department of justice, longest filibuster, compromised which weakened bill 1960- added FBI resources, not sufficient resources to enforce law 1964- encompassed voting rights, public accommodations, desegregation of public facilities, limits on discrimination in federally funded programs and employment discrimination, still needed protection for voting rights Brown vs. Board of education Desegregated schools but not without intense opposition Little Rock nine (central high school) (1957) Ole Miss riot (1962) University of Alabama riot (1963) Senators and governors highly against integration which made it very difficult even after court ruling Federal government had to take action to end the violence Civil rights leaders wanted direct support but received indirect

How successful was Chief Justice Warren in challenging segregation in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's?

-The landmark case of his tenure was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), in which the Court unanimously determined the segregation of schools to be unconstitutional. The Warren Court also sought electoral reforms, equality in criminal justice and the defense of human rights before its chief justice retired in 1969. -This and other Warren Court decisions furthering racial equality were the catalyst for the civil rights protests of the 1950s and 1960s and the civil rights laws passed by Congress, themselves upheld by the Warren Court.

What led President Johnson to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Act?

-increased media coverage and national attention

What was the Freedom Summer Project?

-white Northern students joined with blacks in order to protest for black voting rights in Mississippi -set up freedom schools in which people would be taught how to pass literacy tests - volunteers went around to rural town and encouraged blacks to vote in the election

Why did the civil rights movement intensify after World War II?

After the holocaust, people began viewing discrimination against blacks as wrong. African Americans had just risked their lives in the war and now demanded to not be treated like 2nd class citizens, Roosevelt banned discrimination through defense industries during the 1940's

Compare and contrast the views of Booker T Washington (1856-1915) and Martin Luther King Jr (1929-68) on the advancement of African-Americans.

Booker T. Washington: African American progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality. Supported a gradualist approach in which blacks use skills as workers to gain economic well being first. MLK: a Southern preacher who advocated peaceful resistance to racism and black civil/social equality.

To what extent can Martin Luther King be said to have said to have achieved his goals in the Civil Rights Movement?

In lieu of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King can be said to have achieved his goals to a certain extent, but it could be also said that he failed to accomplish his ultimates goal. Reasons for Success: Led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Helped conduct non-violent protests in order to instigate reform in Civil Rights SCLC sponsored more than 20 mass meetings in key southern cities to register black voters in the South MLK traveled all over the country giving lectures and speeches on race issues Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott City of Montgomery lifted the law mandating segregated public transportation following the bus boycotts Sit-In Movement in Greensboro MLK encouraged students to continue using nonviolent methods to protest Civil Rights Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formed Ended segregation at lunch counters in 27 southern cities Arrest in Atlanta Arrested for refusing to leave a lunch counter when he was denied service His incarceration sparked national outrage and brought in the needed attention for the Civil Rights Movement "I Have A Dream" Took place in Birmingham, AL Widely known speech and highly inspirational Motivated whites and blacks to unite and act as brothers Resulted in the installment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Selma March led President Johnson to enact the 1965 Voting Rights Act Reason for Failure Discrimination is still widely seen in modern society MLK may have had plans to further the movement, but he was brutally assassinated before he had the chance to fulfill those goals.

Analyze the successes and failures of the United States' Civil Rights movement between 1954 & 1964

Introduction Hook Background information on the topic Thesis Successes of the United States' Civil RIghts Movement (1954-1964) Brown VS Board of Education Little Rock Nine: (1957- Central High School) De Jure VS De Facto Ole Miss Riot (1962) More successes Freedom Rides activists rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States 1961 Nonviolence intentions Greensboro Sit Ins non violent protests Woolworth lunch counter Failures Many Africans Americans were either beaten regularly or even killed in some cases due to the whites not wanting the movement Blacks are still suffering today by not getting paid as much etc. Conclusion Restate thesis Outline what was said in essay

"While the US national government attempted to advance civil rights for African Americans, state and local governments resist change." Discuss.

Local and State Governments were more resistant to change than the Federal Government, even after the Supreme Court ruling of Brown V. Board of Education. State and Local Government Resistance Birmingham Campaign Eugene "Bull" Connor used fire hoses and police dogs to discourage Civil Rights activists Central High School Governor Orval Faubus mobilized the Arkansas National Guard in order to prevent integration University of Alabama Governor Wallace stood in the way at the college as a stance against integration, furthermore, he had been quoted saying "Segregation Now! Segregation Forever!" in one of the speeches he had given commenting on integration Mississippi MSSC maintained Jim Crow and directed funds to the Citizens Council (White Supremacists) in order to prepare for "Freedom Summer" Governor Barnett was against integration, publicly denouncing it, "We must either submit to the unlawful dictates of the federal government of stand up like men and tell them, never! I submit to you tonight, no school will be integrated in Mississippi while I am your governor!" 2. Federal Response A. Birmingham Campaign I. JFK proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 B. Central High School I. JFK federalized the Arkansas National Guard to ensure the integration of the Little Rock Nine C. University of Alabama I. JFK federalized the Alabama National Guard and forced Governor Wallace to step down D. Mississippi I. JFK was calling Governor Barnett to convince him to accept Meredith into Ole' Miss II. Plan: Bobby Kennedy and Ross Barnett agreed on a plan. Merideth F. Freedom Rides(Federal Protection) I. Kennedy agreed with local government that the riders could be protected for the duration of their journey but arrested at the end destination

To what extent had the movement achieved its aims by the time of the March on Washington (Aug. 1963)

Multiple successful protests up until this point Greensboro sit ins Freedom Rides II. Background on the March Media's role on the march Speeches during the march III. Groups SNCC NAACP SCLC IV. People MLK JFK LBJ

How were blacks in the South disenfranchised?

Poll taxes, education and character requirements, grandfather clause, white primaries

How successful was the Supreme Court in challenging segregation in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s?

Separate but equal De jure segregation was solved but not de facto ex: little rock 9 going to school accompanied by federal troops after abuse. The supreme court defiantly challenged segregation during this time because although the laws changed the people and their ways didn't change

Compare the significance of the events at Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 with those of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 in the campaign for civil rights by African Americans.

The Birmingham campaign was a model of nonviolent direct action protest and, through the media, drew the world's attention to racial segregation in the South. It burnished King's reputation, ousted Connor from his job, forced desegregation in Birmingham, and directly paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial discrimination in hiring practices and public services throughout the United States. Little Rock tested a landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Account for the development of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA during the 1950's.

The Civil Rights Movement changed tactics multiple times, starting when the US supreme court strikes down segregation, to the beginning of strikes and boycotts, and the immediate actions from both the supporters and rejecters of the Civil Right Movement. Court system Brown v Board of Education NAACP Linda Brown Thurgood marshall Little rock central high school Strikes and Boycotts Rosa Parks Sit-ins Marches Montgomery bus boycott SCLC MLK Actions taken (violence) Emmett Till Montgomery bus boycott MLK

With reference to two United States presidents between 1945 and 1969, assess the role of the US Federal Government in the achievement of African-American civil rights.

The US Federal Government, under the presidencies of Eisenhower and Kennedy, facilitated civil rights and maintained peace while not initiating new ideas and efforts toward the Civil Rights movement. Introduction- Establish the setting and stance on the two presidencies Hook Background info Thesis Eisenhower- Little rock 9-- took a while, but then sent U.S. Marshalls This was all to maintain peace Brown v Board- the court decided in favor of the integration of schools Eisenhower let the U.S. government take its own course in this case instead of being a passionate advocate for civil rights and the overturning of the case. Civil Rights act of 1957- Eisenhower pushed for the passing of this bill, which is positive because he brought up the idea of voting rights for everyone once again But, the bill only reinforced already said ideas instead of stating new ideas because of the already- passed civil rights act of 1875 Greensboro Sit-ins- Eisenhower expressed his concern but took no real action. JFK- Civil Rights act of 1960- established voting rights for everyone This is basically the civil rights act of 1957-- nothing new under the sun JFK helped get MLK out of the birmingham jail But, this was mainly just to maintain peace--so much going on with Cold War that he just didn't want more problems to arise with MLK and the black community to be stirred up With the release of MLK came the March on Washington JFK implemented security, and he planned to have paratroopers come in if worst came to worst. He made sure the peace was kept rather than violence breaking out. Freedom Rides- He didn't enact any new legislation to advance civil rights regarding this He let the riders be imprisoned (to not stir up too much violence) But, he also put pressure on the ICC to remove jim crow signs and end segregation. Conclusion- Outline what was said earlier Main idea Restate thesis Closing words

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the civil rights movement in the United States make significant progress in the period 1950 to 1964?

The civil rights movement in the United States made progress in the period 1950 to 1964 through the ways of nonviolent organizations, fighting for integration, and the passing of progressive bills. Non-Violent Organizations Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Used christian theology and non-violence Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Trained leaders in non-violence National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Used legal strategies and civil disobedience to make progress Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Led marches primarily made up of young people Lunch sit ins Fighting for Integration Bus Boycott Organized by non-violent groups in Montgomery Alabama Lasted a year in an effort to end segregation on busses Required hard work from the whole community Brown v. Board of Education Court case declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Led to integration of many schools across the nation, although in most cases it was very difficult to achieve this. National government had to involve themselves to help integration in schools Lunch Counter Sit-ins Organized by local non-violent groups, they fought segregation within the lunch counters or Greensboro and Nashville in 1960. Progressive bills passed Civil Rights Act of 1964 Public accommodations- segregation illegal Passed by LBJ Becomes a law in July 1964 This led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 After eliminating public segregation, people thought voting rights were the next most important thing to take care of. Major fight for this bill during 1950-1964

"Compare the significance of the events at Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 with those of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 in the campaign for civil rights by African Americans."

The events at Little Rock, Arkansas are similar to the Birmingham campaign in the sense that the people in charge wanted to use students as their main focus point. Students Both campaigns heavily used students Using them to integrate schools Using them as a main part of the campaign 2. Criticism and praise for using students Both campaigns were praised because the students took a big risk to their future and their wellbeing Both were against using students because the children were being put in harm's way. II. Nonviolence Both major actions used nonviolence as their weapon of attack Both used nonviolence to bring awareness to the violence directed towards themselves, therefore increasing their support throughout the country Both campaigns, due to their nonviolent origins, triggered violent movements from segregationists 2. Reforms due to nonviolence The support for the movements gained through nonviolence witnessed throughout the country thanks to the media forced desegregation Desegregation of schools from the actions of the Little Rock NIne Desegregation of Birmingham, Alabama from the Birmingham Campaign

"While the US national government attempted to advance civil rights for African Americans, state and local governments resisted change." Discuss.

U.S. Government Civil Rights Act of 1964 JFK Sending troops to guard students as public schools and colleges are integrated Department in the Justice department focused on hate crimes EEOC- Equal Opportunity Work Support for the march on washington Federal troops stand guard in front of Central High School, in Little Rock, Ark., in September 1957 after federal courts ordered the enforcement of desegregation laws. Local Governments Did not give protesters police support Sheriff Connor had given the KKK 15 minutes to enact violence against Freedom Riders in Alabama. The Sheriff had done nothing but alert the Attorney General to a vague possibility of potential violence, and never sent any local enforcement. Used police forces to keep students out of schools. Police use dogs to quell civil unrest in Birmingham, Ala. in May of 1963. Birmingham's police commissioner "Bull" Connor also allowed firehoses to be turned on young civil rights demonstrators. Called off escorts of the buses that transported the freedom riders from state to state. William L. Moore, a white member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), was shot in the head in Alabama as he marched dozens of miles across the South to support integration, and when activists attempted to finish his march, they were beaten and arrested by Alabama State Troopers. Contrast The National government worked with effort in attempt to advance Civil Rights, but the negative actions of state and local law enforcement officials kept the resistance strong. National Government was PRO, state governments were AGAINST

Describe nonviolent protest (passive resistance).

the practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, or other methods, while being nonviolent. This type of action highlights the desires of an individual or group that feels that something needs to change to improve the current condition of the resisting person or group