Key events of the Civil Rights Movement

Question 4 (8 marks)

Describe the key events of the Civil Rights Movement between 1955 and 1965.

Mark scheme (AO1 + AO2, 8 marks):

• Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955–56: Rosa Parks' arrest; 381-day boycott; bus segregation ended; King's leadership established (1–2 marks)
• Little Rock 1957: federal troops enforce school integration (1 mark)
• Greensboro sit-ins 1960; Freedom Rides 1961 — testing transport desegregation; KKK violence (1–2 marks)
• March on Washington August 1963: "I Have a Dream" speech; 250,000 participants (1 mark)
• Civil Rights Act 1964: outlawed racial discrimination; major legislative victory (1–2 marks)
• Selma marches 1965 → Voting Rights Act 1965 (1 mark)
• Analysis mark for explaining how events built momentum (1–2 marks)