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Year 11
Edexcel

The changing position of black Americans by 1960

I can explain the extent of progress in the position of black Americans by 1960.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

The changing position of black Americans by 1960

I can explain the extent of progress in the position of black Americans by 1960.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There was legal progress in achieving desegregation in education, although there was significant resistance.
  2. There was significant progress in achieving desegregation in transport, despite violent resistance.
  3. Organised opposition limited the progress made by black Americans by 1960.
  4. By 1960, the position of black Americans had started to improve as a result of non-violent direct action.

Common misconception

As a result of legal changes, there was significant progress for all black Americans by 1960.

Legal changes led to some change for black Americans, although a significant amount of opposition from within and outside the government led to limited change for most black Americans.

Keywords

  • Desegregate - to end segregation, ending the separation of people according to a physical quality or belief

  • Federal - a federal government is a system of government where these is one central government that controls a collection of smaller state governments

  • Boycott - when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest it is known as a boycott

  • Filibuster - a prolonged action (eg. a speech) that aims to prevents the passing of a law

When explaining the extent of progress in education and transport, make clear that the legal rulings meant that there was objectively SOME progress - but the extent of this progress is what we are looking at this lesson.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Contains depictions of discriminatory behaviour.
  • Contains conflict or violence.

Supervision

Adult supervision suggested.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A was a was a Southern Democrat party politician, known for their opposition to the civil rights movement.
Correct Answer: dixiecrat, Dixiecrat
Q2.
Which organisation was successful in taking Brown v Topeka to the Supreme Court?
Correct answer: NAACP
CORE
SCLC
Q3.
Match the name of the person with the role they played in the civil rights move. Write the correct letter in each box.
Correct Answer:Martin Luther King Jr,founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Correct Answer:Elizabeth Eckford,was escorted into school by federal troops

was escorted into school by federal troops

Correct Answer:W.E.B. Du Bois,found the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People

found the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People

Correct Answer:Daisy Bates,drove the Little Rock Nine to school

drove the Little Rock Nine to school

Q4.
Match the person or organisation with an example of the role they played in opposing the civil rights movement. Write the correct letter in each box.
Correct Answer:Orval Faubus,told the National Guard to stop the enrolment of the Little Rock Nine

told the National Guard to stop the enrolment of the Little Rock Nine

Correct Answer:Senator Thurmound,held the longest filibuster to date against the Civil Rights Act

held the longest filibuster to date against the Civil Rights Act

Correct Answer:The KKK,were responsible for the brutal murder of Emmett Till

were responsible for the brutal murder of Emmett Till

Correct Answer:White Citizens' Councils (WCC),worked together to get civil rights activists fired from their jobs

worked together to get civil rights activists fired from their jobs

Q5.
The phrase the ‘lost year’ refers to the closure of all the high schools in which area?
Correct Answer: Little Rock
Q6.
Which of the following were contributions made by Martin Luther King Jr. for the civil rights movement? Tick all of the correct statements.
Correct answer: He lead the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).
Correct answer: He helped organise the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.
Correct answer: He helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
He passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which is the system of government where there is one central government that controls a collection of smaller state governments?
Correct Answer: federal government, federal , Federal , Federal government
Q2.
In which area did the 1955 bus boycott take place?
Correct answer: Montgomery
Greensboro
Little Rock
Q3.
Which of these are outcomes of attempts to desegregate schools in the USA?
Correct answer: All schools were ordered to desegregate after Brown v. Topeka.
Correct answer: Faubus ordered the National Guard to stop enrolment of the Little Rock Nine.
Correct answer: Eisenhower used federal intervention to force the desegregation of schools.
Correct answer: Desegregation was slow; Faubus closed the high schools in Little Rock for a year
Q4.
Which of these are outcomes of attempts to desegregate transport in the USA?
Transport was shut down in Montgomery for a year.
Correct answer: Transport was desegregated across Alabama.
Correct answer: The boycott contributed to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1957.
Correct answer: There was an increase in membership of the KKK in the 1950s.
Correct answer: Senator Thurmond held a filibuster to protest the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Q5.
Select three words that make a judgement on the extent of change.
Correct answer: widespread
change
impact
Correct answer: insignificant
Correct answer: minimal
Q6.
Which of these sentences make a judgement about the extent of change? Select all the correct answers.
By 1954, most black Americans still attended segregated schools.
Correct answer: By 1960, there had been significant progress for black Americans in education.
In 1956, all transport services to Alabama were ordered to desegregate
Correct answer: Opposition in government meant that only limited change was actually enforced.

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