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Civil Rights Movement Flashcards
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From Jim Crow laws and the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these free History flashcards cover the key people, events, and legislation of the US Civil Rights Movement.
Question
What were Jim Crow laws?
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Answer
State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern USA from 1877 to the 1960s. They mandated separate public facilities for Black and white Americans, entrenching racial inequality.
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Question
What was the significance of the Brown v Board of Education ruling (1954)?
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Answer
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy v Ferguson (1896). A landmark legal victory for civil rights.
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Question
What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56)?
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Answer
A 381-day boycott of Montgomery, Alabama's bus system after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat. Led by MLK Jr; ended with the Supreme Court ruling bus segregation unconstitutional.
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Question
Who was Rosa Parks and why is she significant?
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Answer
A Black American civil rights activist who refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama (1955). Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
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Question
What was Martin Luther King Jr's approach to civil rights?
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Answer
Non-violent direct action inspired by Gandhi — boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and peaceful protests. Aimed to expose injustice and win moral authority, creating political pressure for legislation.
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Question
What was the March on Washington (1963) and what happened there?
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Answer
Around 250,000 people marched to the Lincoln Memorial. MLK Jr delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, calling for racial equality and justice. Key event that helped push through the Civil Rights Act.
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Question
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 achieve?
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Answer
Outlawed discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and public accommodations. One of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in US history.
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Question
What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 achieve?
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Answer
Prohibited discriminatory voting practices (literacy tests, poll taxes) that had disenfranchised Black voters in the South. Dramatically increased Black voter registration.
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Question
What was the Little Rock Crisis (1957)?
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Answer
Nine Black students enrolled at Little Rock Central High School, Arkansas, following desegregation. The Arkansas Governor used the National Guard to block them; President Eisenhower deployed federal troops to enforce desegregation.
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Question
What were the sit-ins and what were they protesting?
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Answer
Non-violent protests where Black students sat at segregated lunch counters (e.g. Greensboro, NC, 1960) and refused to leave when denied service. Spread nationally; led to desegregation of many establishments.
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