Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56)
What: Rosa Parks refused to give up seat → 381-day boycott of buses
Leader: Martin Luther King Jr emerged as leader
Result: Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional
Significance: First major Civil Rights victory; showed power of collective action
Sit-ins (1960 onwards)
What: Students sat at "whites only" lunch counters and refused to leave
Greensboro: 4 students started movement; spread to 54 cities in weeks
Nashville: 3,000 students trained in non-violence; successful desegregation
Significance: Young people drove the movement; showed non-violence worked
Freedom Rides (1961)
What: Integrated buses challenged segregation across the South
Violence: Bus burned in Anniston; riders beaten in Birmingham
Result: JFK forced to act; ICC banned segregation in interstate travel
Significance: Federal government forced to enforce desegregation
This key facts covers Key Events — Learn These! within Direct Action for GCSE History. Revise Direct Action in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 12 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 4 of 14 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Direct Action
How long did the Montgomery Bus Boycott last after Rosa Parks' arrest in December 1955?
What method of protest began at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina in February 1960?