A Dream of Freedom The Civil Rights Movement

1955 - 1965

Name: __________________________

Boycotts 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott

1. When did the bus boycotts take place? How long did it last? 2. Where is Alabama? Describe where it lies on a map. Identify bordering states and bodies of

water. 3. What happened in Montgomery from December 1, 1955 until the boycott ended? 4. Why is it inaccurate to describe Rosa Parks as ‘tired’ and ‘old’? 5. Who were the important people involved in the boycott? 6. How did the Montgomery bus boycott affect the economy of Montgomery?

7. Write down one memorable line from the reading and explain why it is significant.

School Integration 1957 Little Rock

1. When did the legal battle to integrate Little Rock Central High School (LRCHS) begin? 2. Where is Arkansas? Describe where it lies on a map by stating the bordering states.

3. Who were the “Little Rock Nine”? 4. Why do you think the nine students were willing to make extraordinary sacrifices to attend

LRCHS? 5. Who were the leading political figures involved in the integration? 6. How does the battle to integrate LRCHS illustrate the struggle between state and federal

government? Who has more power? *Bonus: What does the Constitution say about the power of the federal government versus the power of states?

7. Do you believe the integration of LRCHS was a success? Answer the question with a quote

from the text.

School Integration 1962 Ole Miss

1. How does the integration of the University of Mississippi compare to the integration of Little

Rock Central High School? How are they similar? How are they different? 2. Where is Mississippi? Describe where it lies on a map. Identify bordering states and bodies of

water.

3. Who was James Meredith? 4. Why was Ross Barnett willing to go to such extreme measures to prevent Meredith from

attending Ole Miss? 5. What role did the Kennedys play in integrating the University of Mississippi? How does the

battle to integrate Ole Miss illustrate the struggle between state and federal government? 6. The student body president, Dick Wilson, described the night that Meredith officially arrived on

campus as if it were the “last battle of the Civil War.” In what ways is this quote accurate? 7. Do you believe the integration of Ole Miss was a success? Answer the question with a quote

from the text.

Sit-ins 1960: The Sit-Ins

1. When did the Sit-Ins begin? 2. Where is Greensboro? Describe where it lies on a map by stating the bordering states and

bodies of water. 3. What happened during the Sit-Ins? 4. Look up the term “grass roots” using a dictionary or the Internet. What does the term mean?

Why are the Sit-Ins known as a “grass-roots” movement? 5. Who were the leading people involved in the Sit-Ins? 6. How do the Sit-Ins demonstrate civil disobedience?

7. If you had to choose to join either the SCLC or SNCC, which would you join? Why? What were the differences between the two organizations?

Freedom Rides 1961: The Freedom Rides

1. When did the freedom rides begin? 2. Where did the freedom riders travel? Shade the states in which freedom rides took place.

3. What happened to the freedom riders? 4. Why were they riding across the South? 5. Who organized the violence that met the freedom riders? 6. How do the freedom rides illustrate the conflict between state and federal government?

Voter Registration 1964: Mississippi Freedom Summer

1. When did disenfranchisement of black Americans become widespread in the South? 2. From where did the workers during freedom summer come? 3. What happened to Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney? 4. Why was it necessary to form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party? 5. Who were the perpetrators of the crimes that took place during Mississippi Freedom Summer? 6. How did Freedom Summer change federal law? 7. Write down one memorable line from the reading or from A Time for Justice that demonstrates

the courage shown by black and white Americans in Mississippi in 1964.

Marches 1965: Selma

1. When did the tools used to prevent Selma’s residents from voting become illegal? 2. Where did Bloody Sunday take place? 3. What happened in Selma in March of 1965? 4. Why was the media so important to the Civil Rights Movement? Your answer needs to have at

least one quote from either the film or the reading. 5. Who were the people marching at Selma? 6. How do the events of at Selma foreshadow the eventual split between SNCC and the SCLC? 7. Why is it ironic that the film the ABC interrupted to broadcast the images of Bloody Sunday was

Judgement at Nuremberg? (This is a challenge question – try your best, please!)