History
The US civil rights movement — quick study summary
The civil rights movement (mid-1950s to late 1960s) challenged racial segregation and discrimination in the United States — especially the Jim Crow laws of the South. Key tactics: nonviolent direct action (Rosa Parks 1955, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Greensboro sit-ins 1960, Freedom Rides 1961, March on Washington 1963), legal challenges (Brown v. Board of Education 1954), and federal intervention. Outcomes: Civil Rights Act (1964) outlawed segregation and discrimination; Voting Rights Act (1965) protected Black voters. Leaders: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, Ella Baker.
Key points
- Brown v. Board (1954): segregated schools unconstitutional
- Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56) after Rosa Parks' arrest
- Greensboro sit-ins (1960), Freedom Rides (1961)
- March on Washington (1963): MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech
- Civil Rights Act 1964; Voting Rights Act 1965
Practice quiz
Click each question to reveal the answer.
1. Which 1954 Supreme Court case ruled school segregation unconstitutional?
- Plessy v. Ferguson
- Brown v. Board of Education
- Roe v. Wade
- Loving v. Virginia
Answer: Brown v. Board of Education
Brown overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine set by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
2. Whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Answer: Rosa Parks
Parks, a seamstress and NAACP secretary, was arrested for violating segregation laws; her case led to a 381-day boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr.
3. Which 1964 federal law outlawed racial segregation in public spaces and employment discrimination?
Answer: The Civil Rights Act of 1964
It was a landmark piece of legislation that ended Jim Crow laws and laid the foundation for further reforms like the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Last reviewed: May 2026