American Civil Rights Movement Lesson: Causes & Key Events
Lesson Overview
- American Civil Rights Movement: Jim Crow Laws and Segregation
- American Civil Rights Movement: Brown v. Board of Education
- American Civil Rights Movement: Montgomery Bus Boycott
- American Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks and Civil Disobedience
- American Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolence
- American Civil Rights Movement: Civil Rights Act of 1964
- American Civil Rights Movement: Voting Rights Act of 1965
- American Civil Rights Movement: Sit-ins and Student Activism
- American Civil Rights Movement: Federal Government vs. State Resistance
- American Civil Rights Movement: Mixed-Review Quiz
The American Civil Rights Movement began in response to segregation and racial injustice, leading to protests, court decisions, and federal laws that expanded rights for African Americans.
American Civil Rights Movement: Jim Crow Laws and Segregation
American Civil Rights Movement: Jim Crow Laws Enforced Separation
Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that required segregation of Black and white Americans in public places. These laws existed in southern states from the 1870s through the 1960s.
Example
Signs marked separate entrances, schools, water fountains, and seating areas. These laws created unequal conditions in housing, education, and employment.
Quick Tip: Jim Crow laws legally separated people by race.
Mini-Quiz
What did Jim Crow laws do in the United States?
A) Protected voting rights
B) Enforced racial segregation
C) Ended slavery
D) Gave equal pay to all workers
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did Jim Crow laws do during the American Civil Rights Movement?
They enforced racial segregation in schools, transport, and public spaces.
American Civil Rights Movement: Brown v. Board of Education
American Civil Rights Movement: Brown v. Board Ended School Segregation
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separating students by race in public schools was unconstitutional.
Example
The case began when Linda Brown was denied entry to a nearby white school in Kansas. The Court's decision reversed the "separate but equal" rule from 1896.
Quick Tip: Brown v. Board declared that segregation in public schools was illegal.
Mini-Quiz
What did the Supreme Court decide in Brown v. Board of Education?
A) School segregation was legal
B) Segregated schools were unconstitutional
C) Public education was optional
D) All schools must be private
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did Brown v. Board of Education do during the American Civil Rights Movement?
It ended legal segregation in public schools.
American Civil Rights Movement: Montgomery Bus Boycott
American Civil Rights Movement: Bus Boycott Challenged Segregation
The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in 1955 when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat. The boycott lasted over a year and ended with a Supreme Court ruling.
Example
African Americans stopped riding buses in Montgomery, Alabama. They walked, carpooled, and organized nonviolent protests until the city ended bus segregation.
Quick Tip: The boycott lasted over 12 months and succeeded through peaceful protest.
Mini-Quiz
What was the result of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
A) The boycott failed to change laws
B) Bus segregation was ruled unconstitutional
C) The boycott lasted only one day
D) Rosa Parks was jailed for years
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve during the Civil Rights Movement?
It led to the Supreme Court ending bus segregation.
American Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks and Civil Disobedience
American Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks Inspired Action
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955. Her quiet protest helped start a major boycott and made her a national symbol of civil disobedience.
Example
Parks was arrested for violating segregation laws on a city bus. Her action was planned with civil rights leaders and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Quick Tip: Rosa Parks was already active in civil rights before her arrest.
Mini-Quiz
Why is Rosa Parks important to the Civil Rights Movement?
A) She was the first Black mayor
B) She refused to give up her bus seat
C) She wrote the Civil Rights Act
D) She led a march to Washington
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did Rosa Parks do during the American Civil Rights Movement?
She refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, leading to a major protest.
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American Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolence
American Civil Rights Movement: MLK Led Through Peaceful Protest
Martin Luther King Jr. used nonviolent methods to challenge segregation and injustice. He believed peaceful protest could change unfair laws and unite people.
Example
King organized marches, boycotts, and speeches, including the March on Washington in 1963. His leadership helped gain support for new civil rights laws.
Quick Tip: Nonviolence was both a belief and a protest strategy.
Mini-Quiz
What approach did Martin Luther King Jr. use during the Civil Rights Movement?
A) Armed defense
B) Nonviolent resistance
C) Political campaigning
D) Economic boycott only
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What method did Martin Luther King Jr. use during the Civil Rights Movement?
He used nonviolent resistance to protest segregation and injustice.
American Civil Rights Movement: Civil Rights Act of 1964
American Civil Rights Movement: Civil Rights Act Banned Discrimination
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation in public spaces and banned discrimination in employment based on race, sex, or religion (Source: U.S. Department of Justice).
Example
The law made it illegal to separate people in restaurants, theaters, schools, and workplaces. It gave the federal government power to enforce equality.
Quick Tip: This act was a turning point in ending legal segregation.
Mini-Quiz
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?
A) Allowed segregation in schools
B) Banned segregation and discrimination
C) Lowered the voting age
D) Required voter ID
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 change during the Civil Rights Movement?
It made segregation and discrimination illegal in public and employment settings.
American Civil Rights Movement: Voting Rights Act of 1965
American Civil Rights Movement: Voting Rights Act Protected Voting
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned laws that kept African Americans from voting. It ended literacy tests and let the federal government monitor elections (Source: National Archives).
Example
After its passage, voter registration increased in the South. Federal examiners ensured people could register without unfair tests or threats.
Quick Tip: The law removed state barriers that blocked African Americans from voting.
Mini-Quiz
What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 do?
A) Banned voting by women
B) Ended racial barriers to voting
C) Created ID requirements
D) Changed voting to online
Correct answer: B
FAQ
What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 do during the Civil Rights Movement?
It banned voting restrictions that targeted African Americans.
American Civil Rights Movement: Sit-ins and Student Activism
American Civil Rights Movement: Sit-ins Challenged Public Segregation
Students held sit-ins at segregated lunch counters and waited peacefully for service. These nonviolent protests challenged segregation in restaurants and public spaces.
Example
In 1960, four students in Greensboro, North Carolina, sat at a "whites-only" lunch counter. Their protest spread across the country.
Quick Tip: Sit-ins showed the power of peaceful protest by ordinary people.
Mini-Quiz
What did students do to protest segregation in public spaces?
A) Ran for office
B) Held peaceful sit-ins
C) Stopped eating in restaurants
D) Filed lawsuits
Correct answer: B
FAQ
How did students protest during the American Civil Rights Movement?
They held sit-ins at segregated public places to demand equal treatment.
American Civil Rights Movement: Federal Government vs. State Resistance
American Civil Rights Movement: Federal Power Enforced Civil Rights
During the Civil Rights Movement, some state leaders resisted federal civil rights laws. The federal government used courts, laws, and troops to enforce those rights.
Example
In 1957, Arkansas tried to block Black students from entering a white school. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the students.
Quick Tip: Federal laws overruled state resistance to civil rights.
Mini-Quiz
What did the federal government do when states resisted civil rights laws?
A) Canceled the laws
B) Enforced them with legal and military action
C) Let the states decide
D) Created new state laws
Correct answer: B
FAQ
How did the federal government respond to state resistance during the Civil Rights Movement?
It enforced civil rights laws using courts and federal power.
American Civil Rights Movement: Mixed-Review Quiz
1. What did Jim Crow laws enforce?
A) Equal voting rights
B) Racial segregation
C) School funding
D) Voting registration
Correct answer: B
2. What was the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?
A) Segregation was legal
B) School segregation was unconstitutional
C) Voting laws must change
D) All schools had to be private
Correct answer: B
3. What did Rosa Parks do that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
A) Gave a speech
B) Refused to give up her bus seat
C) Organized a march
D) Sued the bus company
Correct answer: B
4. What strategy did Martin Luther King Jr. support?
A) Armed rebellion
B) Nonviolent resistance
C) Court-only action
D) Political parties
Correct answer: B
5. What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ban?
A) Voting by minorities
B) Segregation in public places and discrimination at work
C) State police
D) Marches in Washington
Correct answer: B
6. What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplish?
A) Gave voting rights to children
B) Banned unfair voting restrictions
C) Made voting optional
D) Changed election dates
Correct answer: B
The American Civil Rights Movement addressed deep inequalities through protest, court cases, and federal laws. Events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped end segregation and expanded civil rights across the country.
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