This is a summary of the Civil Rights Era in the United States; dating from 1865 to 1968.
This summary provides strong foundations for the understanding of the events of this era allowing for a more chronological understanding of the topic.
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Civil Rights era Summary
Slavery was officially abolished in the USA in 1865 but black Americans would deal with
racism and discrimination for decades after. It would take many years and a great struggle
to see black Americans treated in the same way as white Americans.
There had been successful attempts to improve the status of black people before the
1950s – e.g. the NAACP was set up in 1909 and funded lawyers for black people who
were treated very badly by the courts.
Early black activists such as Ida. B. Wells were showing dedication to the cause from
early on despite being targeted by the KKK e.g wrote a book called ‘Lynching and the
excuse’. Her work directly targeted lynching and it could be suggested she helped
reduce lynching as in 1932, lynching had decreased to a record low of 10 per year.
Black americans had lost almost all sense of hope and confidence when it came to
getting what they deserved. Martin Luther King helped them recognised that they
needed to act peacefully and reach for what they wanted. Martin luther king is
praised for many things e,g Incredible motivational/public speaking skills,
unprecedented empathy and his determination. Mr Kings idea of peaceful protest
became a core idea of Civil rights activism but however did lead to radicals such as
Malcom X as he thought MLK was too passive.
The 50’s and 60’s saw the fastest pace of positive change for Black Americans; many
would argue that this is due to the skills of Martin Luther king but others may
suggest that WW2 acted as a catalyst for this change due to the less racist attitudes
of other countries.
July 26, 1948: President Harry Truman issues Executive Order 9981 to end segregation in the
Armed Services.
May 17, 1954: Brown v. Board of Education it was decided by the Supreme Court, effectively
ending racial segregation in public schools. Many schools, however, remained segregated.
December 1st, 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a
Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her defiant stance prompts a year-long Montgomery bus
boycott.
September 4th, 1957: Nine black students known as the “Little Rock Nine” are blocked from
integrating into Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. President Dwight D.
Eisenhower eventually sends federal troops to escort the students, however, they continue
to be harassed.
September 9th, 1957: Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law to help protect
voter rights. The law allows federal prosecution of those who suppress another’s right to
vote.
February 1st, 1960: Four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina
refuse to leave a Woolworth’s “whites only” lunch counter without being served. The
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