The Civil Rights Movement: Turning Points In American History
Sophie Bormann
Ms. Henderson
CRW 4
03/12/2018
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was, arguably, one of the biggest turning points in American history. Before the series of social movements began, a strong racial divide existed. Many made their voices heard during this movement, writing their names down in history. Rosa Parks was one of those people, having one of the most well known stories from the Civil Rights Movement. It all began with an action that she had not deemed as “heroic” at the time. The “Jim Crow Laws” were a group of laws made that made it so black people had to use separate bathrooms, drinking fountains, and only sit in the back of buses. It was just one of the many injustices held against African Americans. …show more content…
The Boycott consisted of Montgomery’s African American community refraining from using the public busing system. This may not sound like it’d make a large impact, but after lasting for nearly a year (December 5, 1955 through December 20, 1956), it did. The initial aims of the boycott were not to change the segregation laws, but to encourage the hiring of black bus drivers, and a “first come first serve” seating policy. Despite the fact that Nixon had proposed the idea of a boycott, the group had elected Martin Luther King Jr. as its president. To support my claim that the boycott was influential during the Civil Rights Movement, in the book “The Montgomery Bus Boycott”, it is stated that “It squeezed profits out of the bus company and hurt downtown businesses. Without black passengers, the buses were virtually empty. The bus company was forced to raise fares from ten to fifteen cents a ride. White store owners complained that blacks no longer came downtown to shop.” (Stein 18). Evidently, the Boycott had a significant impact on their town’s economy and the way it functions. Another one of the reasons as to why it was so effective and meaningful was because it was harmless. There was no violence. Therefore, they could not get in any trouble with the law for doing something as simple as not taking the bus. The voices of the black community were heard through a nonviolent action, and not just by their town. According to the History.com
Ms. Henderson
CRW 4
03/12/2018
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was, arguably, one of the biggest turning points in American history. Before the series of social movements began, a strong racial divide existed. Many made their voices heard during this movement, writing their names down in history. Rosa Parks was one of those people, having one of the most well known stories from the Civil Rights Movement. It all began with an action that she had not deemed as “heroic” at the time. The “Jim Crow Laws” were a group of laws made that made it so black people had to use separate bathrooms, drinking fountains, and only sit in the back of buses. It was just one of the many injustices held against African Americans. …show more content…
The Boycott consisted of Montgomery’s African American community refraining from using the public busing system. This may not sound like it’d make a large impact, but after lasting for nearly a year (December 5, 1955 through December 20, 1956), it did. The initial aims of the boycott were not to change the segregation laws, but to encourage the hiring of black bus drivers, and a “first come first serve” seating policy. Despite the fact that Nixon had proposed the idea of a boycott, the group had elected Martin Luther King Jr. as its president. To support my claim that the boycott was influential during the Civil Rights Movement, in the book “The Montgomery Bus Boycott”, it is stated that “It squeezed profits out of the bus company and hurt downtown businesses. Without black passengers, the buses were virtually empty. The bus company was forced to raise fares from ten to fifteen cents a ride. White store owners complained that blacks no longer came downtown to shop.” (Stein 18). Evidently, the Boycott had a significant impact on their town’s economy and the way it functions. Another one of the reasons as to why it was so effective and meaningful was because it was harmless. There was no violence. Therefore, they could not get in any trouble with the law for doing something as simple as not taking the bus. The voices of the black community were heard through a nonviolent action, and not just by their town. According to the History.com