History of the United States

Civil Rights Movement
The 1963 March on Washington participants and leaders marching from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. ©Image Attribution forthcoming. Image belongs to the respective owner(s).
1954 Jan 1 - 1968

Civil Rights Movement

United States

The Civil Rights Movement was a time of great social and political change in the United States, during which African Americans and other minorities worked to end racial segregation and discrimination and achieve equal rights under the law. The movement began in the mid-1950s and continued into the late 1960s, and it was characterized by nonviolent protests, civil disobedience, and legal challenges to discriminatory laws and practices.


One of the key demands of the Civil Rights Movement was the desegregation of public spaces, such as schools, buses, and restaurants. In 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched in Alabama after Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. The boycott, which lasted for over a year and involved the participation of tens of thousands of African Americans, resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.


Another notable event in the Civil Rights Movement was the Little Rock Nine incident in 1957. Nine African American students attempted to enroll in Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, but were prevented from doing so by a mob of white protesters and the National Guard, which had been ordered to the school by the Governor. President Dwight D. Eisenhower eventually sent federal troops to escort the students into the school, and they were able to attend classes there, but they faced continued harassment and violence.


The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which took place in 1963, is one of the most well-known events of the Civil Rights Movement. The march, which was organized by a coalition of civil rights groups and was attended by more than 200,000 people, aimed to call attention to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and to demand that the government take action to end discrimination. During the march, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, in which he called for an end to racism and for the realization of the American dream of freedom and equality for all people.


The Civil Rights Movement had great impact on American society, the movement helped to end legal segregation, it ensured that minorities have equal access to public facilities and the right to vote, and it helped to bring about a greater awareness of and opposition to racism and discrimination. It also had an impact on Civil Rights Movement around the world and many other countries got inspired by it.

Last Updated: Fri Feb 10 2023

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