The Montgomery Bus Boycott

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  • Created by: April15
  • Created on: 21-04-19 20:11
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  • Montgomery Bus Boycott & its Importance -1955
    • Causes
      • long term:
        • WPC(Womes Polical Council) had been focused on bus segreagation and discrimination since 1950
        • Montgomery bus company forced black passengers to the back of the bus and vacate their seats for white passengers
          • Requests to the bus company to change their policies were repeatedly ignored
            • long term:
              • WPC(Womes Polical Council) had been focused on bus segreagation and discrimination since 1950
              • Montgomery bus company forced black passengers to the back of the bus and vacate their seats for white passengers
                • Requests to the bus company to change their policies were repeatedly ignored
        • short term:
          • 1st December 1955, WPC secretary Rosa Parks broke segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man.
          • Mrs Parks was arrested and fined
          • Parks' arrested sparked a mass boycott by all those campaigning for civil rights
      • Events of the Boycott
        • 5th December 1955 - MIA (Montgomery Improvement Assoication) set up, with Martin Luther King as Chairman
        • 8th December 1955 -0MIA met with bus company officails who refused to change their policies - MIA decided to continue the boycott until victory was met
          • Car Pools began on the 12th and involvement and support was enormous (over 300 cars)
            • MIA negotiated reduced cab prices with black drivers to support the cause
              • Opposition grew subsewuently - MLK's house was bombed. Activist responded with a peaceful non violent protest
                • The violent white opposition increased publicity and public support and sympathy for civil rights
                  • NON - VIOLENCE WAS A CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE APPPROACH
      • The Boycott's success was monumental - paved the way for future campaigns and brought MLK to the forefront of the civil rights movement
      • Reasons for Sucess
        • MIA coordinated the campaign effectively
          • The boycotters continued despite harassment, threats and attacks
            • The campaign was publicised through church meetings and newspapers which aided with widespread support
            • The Montgomerybus company was hurt financially as its major source of income was the working class black Americans
      • Supreme Court Ruling
        • February 1956, NAAP(National Associated for the Advancement of Coloured People) presented a case to the Supreme court against bus segregation in Montgomery as it was against the 14th Amendment.
          • In June the court ruled in favour of the NAACP
            • The bus company attempted to appeal the ruling but were rejceted
              • 20th December 1956, MIA ended the boycott and racially intergreted bus services began the next day
            • MLK
              • A pastor that emphasised love and humanity
                • Tried to appeal to all Americans regardless of race
                • Advocated non violence
              • Arrrested in 1956 for his part in organising the boycott
              • alongside Ralph Abernathy he led SCLC(Southern Christian Leadership Conference) which coordinated church based non violent direct action

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