The Civil Rights Movement was one of the most significant events in relation to American history in the 20th century. It involved the fight for rights and equality for African Americans and occurred throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Historians have identified several causes for the Civil Rights Movement. The primary cause of the Civil Rights Movement was the history of Jim Crow Laws after the American Civil War and the overall legacy of racism in the United States. Other important causes are related to major events in the 1950s that sparked the protest movement for Civil Rights. For instance, historians consider the following events as significant to the start of the Civil Rights Movement: The Brown vs. Board of Education case, the death of Emmett Till and the events of Rosa Parks in relation to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This article summarizes the major causes of the Civil Rights Movement. Click on the links to read more detailed information about each topic.
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – JIM CROW LAWS
The first main cause of the Civil Rights Movement was the history and significance of Jim Crow Laws that existed throughout the United States in the time after the American Civil War. The Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865, was an incredibly significant event in American history as it led to the end of slavery in the United States. After millions of African Americans were freed from a life of slavery, numerous regions in the United States (especially Southern states) instituted what became known as Jim Crow Laws.
In general, Jim Crow Laws were a series of informal rules and formal laws that enforced racial segregation in the United States. Racial segregation is the forcible separation of people in society based on ethnic or racial difference. For instance, racial segregation in the United States during the late 1800s and first half of the 20th century often centered on different services or facilities for white and black people. Furthermore, this segregation took place in schools, restaurants, and all major public services or facilities. As well, the services provided for African Americans were usually worse or nonexistent, which limited their options. This situation negatively affected the lives of African Americans in that it created educational, economic and political discrimination, and socially divided much of the country along racial lines. As such, the Jim Crow Laws created an era of division in American society and resentment among African Americans who were discriminated against because of the color of their skin. This caused the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, in that African Americans and like-minded supporters fought against segregationist policies. For example, the Brown vs. Board of Education case in 1954 was famous for making segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Therefore, the history of racism in the United States throughout the 19th and 20th centuries sparked the Civil Rights Movement because it caused people to fight against injustice. This included formal protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, but also numerous informal acts of defiance.
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION
As stated above, the Brown vs. Board of Education case was a major event in the Civil Rights Movement and historians consider it to be a cause of the overall protest movement. The 1896 court case Plessy vs. Ferguson, allowed for segregation across the United States, including in many schools which were racially segregated. This led to clear distinctions and quality of education between the schools for white children and those of black children. The argument of the original court case was that the separate schools would be ‘substantially’ equal for all children. The Plessy vs. Ferguson court case stood until 1954, when the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education found that it went against constitutional rights. As such, the Brown vs. Board of Education was a pivotal moment in American history as it brought into question the legality of segregation. This was an important aspect of the Civil Rights Movement and sparked many towards supporting the goals of the overall fight against racial injustice in the United States.
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – DEATH OF EMMETT TILL
The next important cause of the Civil Rights Movement was the death of Emmett Till in August of 1955. Emmett Till was 14 years old when he was brutally beaten and murdered for supposedly flirting with a white woman named Carolyn Bryant. At the time, Till was visiting family in Money, Mississippi, which was a heavily segregated community. For instance, Jim Crow Laws were common in Mississippi and meant that Emmett Till’s supposed interaction with a white woman was considered wrong. However, Emmett Till was from Chicago, which did not support Jim Crow Laws in the same way. As such, Emmett Till likely did not understand the significance of his actions.
In the early morning hours of August 28th, 1955, Roy Bryant (husband of Carolyn Bryant) and his brother J.W. Milam, still enraged from the incident, kidnapped Emmett from his relative’s home. The two men brutally beat Emmett, dragged him to the bank of the Tallahatchie River, shot him in the head, tied barbed wire to a large metal fan from a cotton gin and shoved his lifeless body into the water. His body was found three days later and so horribly mutilated that he was nearly unrecognizable to relatives.
Emmett’s body was shipped back to his mother in Chicago where she chose to have an open – casket funeral with his body on display for five days. Her hope, of displaying the mutilated remains of her son, was that all the world could see what had happened to her son. Ultimately, thousands of mourners viewed Emmett’s body and photographs of his remains were published across the United States. This was important to the larger Civil Rights Movement, because the remains of Emmett Till and the story of what happened to him were shocking to many across the United States. As such, it inspired many to get involved in the fight for equality and helped spark the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s.
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – ROSA PARKS
The final significant cause of the Civil Rights Movement was the life and events of Rosa Parks, especially in relation to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For instance, Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1st in 1955. She was arrested for her actions, which sparked the events of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For example, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) used Rosa Parks’ arrest as an opportunity to protest segregation and carry out a court challenge. This along with Rosa Parks’ actions inspired others to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which saw African Americans and other supporters in Montgomery boycott the bus service in the city.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted from December 5th in 1955 until December 20th in 1956 and raised awareness of the social injustices experienced by African Americans. This was important as it was a significant early event of the overall Civil Rights Movement. Similar to the death of Emmett Till, the arrest of Rosa Parks highlighted the injustices faced by African Americans and led many to protest in favor of change. As such, historians consider the arrest of Rosa Parks to be an important event that helped the Civil Rights Movement to grow and become more widespread across the United States. For instance, Rosa Parks became a celebrated figure of the Civil Rights Movement and her stance against injustice has become known worldwide.
Eventually, the United States federal courts ruled that bus segregation is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
