Montgomery Bus

Boycott 1955

Learning Objective

To investigate the events of the

Montgomery Bus Boycott and to analyse the
reasons for and impact of its success

What about the postits?

If, at any point during the lesson, you come

across something that you didnt know,
write it down on the post-it note and stick it
on the white board

In Montgomery, Alabama,
front seats in buses were for
Whites only. If the White
section was full then Blacks
people had to give up their
seats for their White
superiors.

1st December 1955, Rosa Parks was sitting in

the Black section of a bus

Its full at the front. I want

to sit down. You move!

No! Ive
been
standing
up all day
Rosa refused to move.
The police arrested her.

Rosa Parks was an active member of the NAACP

Her refusal to give up her seat had been planned by local Civil Rights leaders

 Black leaders and church ministers met to discuss the

issue
Martin Luther King decided to organise a protest
Monday 5 December - all Black people were asked not
to use the buses (bus boycott)
That Monday the buses all over town were empty

What did the Black people do?

es!
s
u
b
e
h
t
e
Dont rid
lk
a
w
r
o
e
d
i
re a r
a
h
s
,
b
a
c
Take a
uses!
b
e
h
t
e
d
i
Dont r

They ne
ed

More th
an

us

we need
t

hem!

 Martin Luther King was elected President of the

Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)
He inspired the Black population to keep pressure up for
their Civil Rights
There comes a time
when people get tired
tired of being
segregated and
humiliated: tired of
being kicked about by
the brutal feet of
oppression

The boycott continued despite death threats to Martin Luther King

 The boycott lasted for 381 days

Blacks had made up 70% of the passengers
Without Black passengers the bus companies lost money
Blacks people pooled or shared cars
Police tried to stop then car sharing and many were
arrested for doing so.

Effects of the Boycott

In December 1956 buses in Montgomery were officially
desegregated by the courts
Bus companies had started to desegregate anyway couldnt
afford not to
Showed what could be achieved by organised peaceful protest
Showed the economic power of the Blacks
Martin Luther King became the new Civil Rights Movement
leader
SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) established in
1957. MLK elected president.

Effects of the Boycott

Montgomery still segregated town

The battle for desegregation continued..

Effective because
It showed the economic power of blacks
Desegregation of buses in Montgomery
Non-violent protest worked
MLKs leadership

Ineffective because
Desegregation happened only in Montgomery on
buses
Tremendous white opposition throughout the
boycott
Long, drawn-out process
Civil rights campaign has to continue

Plenary

Lets have a look at what new things we

have learned about the situation we have
been studying

Examination
questions
Explain the reasons why the Montgomery
Bus Boycott was successful
Describe the effects of the Montgomery Bus
Boycott