The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956 (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Was the Montgomery Bus Boycott the Most Significant Event in the Civil Rights Movement? - Timeline & Summary
AWAITING IMAGE
Martin Luther King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It lasted a year and was a powerful display of non-violent protest. It ended racial segregation on buses in the southern states of the USA.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott had far-reaching impacts on the civil rights movement. It brought national attention to the injustices of segregation. The leadership of Martin Luther King mobilised the Black community of Montgomery, Alabama, to fight for change. The success of the boycott inspired similar non-violent protests and civil rights campaigns across the country. It also brought national attention to Martin Luther King. He became a famous civil rights activist.
While the Montgomery Bus Boycott was a significant event in the civil rights movement, it was not the only important event. The movement included a wide range of actions which aimed to challenge segregation and discrimination in US society. The boycott was one of the many key events that brought civil rights to Black American citizens.
Rosa Parks
In some southern states, buses were segregated
The front rows were reserved for white people
Black people had to sit in the back rows
If the bus was full, African-Americans had to give up their seats for white people
On 1st December 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for breaking the segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white person
She was fined $14
Rosa Parks was not the first Black person to break the segregation laws on buses
Parks was a respectable, middle-class woman
The NAACP could form a Supreme Court case around Parks’ story to end segregation of buses. This would gain more public support than a lower-class woman
Parks was a member of the NAACP
Causes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Causes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Long-term causes | Short-term causes |
|---|---|
Civil rights groups such as the Women’s Political Council had argued against bus segregation in Montgomery since 1950 | Rosa Parks’ action caught the attention of civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King |
Bus companies ignored requests from civil rights groups to change their segregation rules |
The MIA & Martin Luther King
On 5th December 1955, civil rights activists in Montgomery met and formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)
It discussed and agreed to boycott the buses until they were desegregated
It chose Martin Luther King as its leader
Why was Martin Luther King chosen to lead the MIA?
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Martin Luther King is also known as MLK or Doctor King. Any version is acceptable in your exam answers. Whilst there are many abbreviations in this course, it may help in your exam answers to shorten King’s name. When writing an answer, write “Martin Luther King (MLK)” once. This will allow you to write “MLK” throughout the rest of your answer.
Events of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The boycott of buses in Montgomery began on 5th December 1955
Black passengers made up a significant portion of the overall bus passengers in Montgomery
On 8th December, the MIA met with bus companies to ask them to agree to desegregate the buses
The bus companies refused
Many African-Americans were reliant on the bus service. To work around this, the MIA:
Encouraged carpools
Negotiated reduced fares with taxi companies so they were the same price as a bus ticket
Encouraged people to walk
Many churches provided money for church members to buy new shoes
The boycott lasted 381 days
On 20th December 1956, the US Supreme Court decided that segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstitutional
Why did the Montgomery Bus Boycott Succeed?
Reasons for the Success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Reason for success | Explanation for success |
|---|---|
Well-organised | The MIA coordinated the actions of smaller civil rights groups in Montgomery. The MIA attracted around 90% of African-Americans who usually rode the bus to boycott them |
Committed leaders | Martin Luther King continued his leadership of the boycott. This was despite receiving a fine of $500, earning a year-long prison sentence and the bombing of his house. This showed the King’s commitment to the campaign |
Media attention | The boycott gained media attention through television and newspaper reports. More African-Americanss joined the boycott as they found out about it through their local church meetings |
Financial impact on bus companies | During the year-long boycott, bus companies lost 65% of their income. It could not afford to continue to run empty buses. This made desegregation more likely to happen |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question could ask you to explain in what ways the Montgomery Bus Boycott impacted African-Americans’ lives. In this style of question, you should aim to have two or three well-explained paragraphs about how the desegregation of buses impacted people’s lives. Use the table above to form your paragraphs. For example, you could write a paragraph on how the Montgomery Bus Boycott made Martin Luther King a famous activists for African-Americans to rally behind.
Impacts of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a significant success of the civil rights movement
Together with the Brown vs Topeka ruling, it helped to end segregation in another area of society
It made civil rights activists more determined to gain equality
The boycott made Martin Luther King a famous civil rights activist
He created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in January 1957 to lead other civil rights protests
The boycott showed that the non-violent direct action that King advocated for could achieve change
Worked Example
Describe two problems faced by black Americans during the 1950s and 1960s
[4 marks]
Answer:
One problem was that, even when the Supreme Court ordered the end of segregation in schools, some states refused to comply (1). This happened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. President Eisenhower had to step in to ensure desegregation happened (1).
Another problem was that black people faced segregation in public transport (1). In 1955, the MIA led a boycott of buses in Montgomery to fight against segregation on buses (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering ‘Describe…’ questions, the four marks are given to you for:
Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)
Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)
To achieve full marks, you must do these steps twice
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