Civil Rights Movement 1960-1975 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for Civil Rights Movement 1960-1975 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional
Where: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson ("separate but equal")
Protest against racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama
Where: Sparked by Rosa Parks; led by MLK
Group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School
Where: President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce integration
Nonviolent protests where African Americans sat at segregated lunch counters and refused to leave
Where: Started in Greensboro, NC; led to desegregation of businesses
Student-led civil rights organization founded in 1960
Where: Played a major role in sit-ins and Freedom Rides
Bus journeys challenging racial segregation in the South
Where: Met with violence; forced federal enforcement of integration
First African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Where: His enrollment sparked riots
Movement organized by SCLC to bring attention to the integration efforts of African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama
Where: Police used fire hoses and dogs on protesters
Open letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. defending the strategy of nonviolent resistance
Where: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
Massive political rally for jobs and freedom
Where: MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech
Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
Where: Ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination
Volunteer campaign to attempt to register as many African American voters as possible in Mississippi
Where: Marred by the murder of three civil rights workers
Constitutional amendment that prohibited poll taxes in federal elections
Where: Removed a barrier to voting for poor African Americans
Protest marches for voting rights
Where: "Bloody Sunday": police attacked marchers on Edmund Pettus Bridge
Law that aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote
Where: Banned literacy tests
Civil rights leader who advocated for black empowerment and self-defense
Where: Initially a member of the Nation of Islam; assassinated in 1965
Political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies aimed at achieving self-determination for people of African descent
Where: Popularized by Stokely Carmichael
Revolutionary socialist organization founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton
Where: Advocated for self-defense and community programs
Law that provided for equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or national origin
Where: Also known as the Fair Housing Act
Lawyer for the NAACP who argued Brown v. Board; first African American Supreme Court Justice
Where: Appointed by LBJ in 1967
Policy favoring members of groups that have faced discrimination
Where: Aimed to improve employment or educational opportunities
National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders established by LBJ to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots
Where: Concluded that the nation was "moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal"
Labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association
Where: Led the Delano grape strike
Civil rights movement extending the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s with the goal of achieving Mexican American empowerment
Where: Focused on restoration of land grants, farm workers' rights, and education
Native American grassroots movement founded in 1968
Where: Addressed issues of sovereignty, treaty rights, and police brutality
Protest by Native Americans who occupied Alcatraz Island to assert treaty rights
Where: Raised awareness of Native American grievances
Feminist writer and activist; author of "The Feminine Mystique"
Where: Co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW)
Feminist organization founded in 1966
Where: Advocated for women's rights and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Proposed amendment to the US Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex
Where: Passed by Congress in 1972 but failed ratification
Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide
Where: Based on the right to privacy
Practice quiz
What landmark 1954 Supreme Court case declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, effectively overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine?
- Brown v. Board of Education
- Plessy v. Ferguson
- Roe v. Wade
- Miranda v. Arizona
Answer: Brown v. Board of Education
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a significant protest against racial segregation on public transit from 1955-1956, was sparked by which individual's refusal to give up her seat?
- Coretta Scott King
- Rosa Parks
- Fannie Lou Hamer
- Ella Baker
Answer: Rosa Parks
In 1957, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the integration of which group of African American students into Central High School?
- The Freedom Riders
- The Greensboro Four
- The Little Rock Nine
- The Selma Marchers
Answer: The Little Rock Nine
Which landmark 1964 legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, effectively ending segregation in public places and banning employment discrimination?
- The Voting Rights Act
- The Fair Housing Act
- The Civil Rights Act
- The Equal Rights Amendment
Answer: The Civil Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to overcome legal barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote, most notably by banning which discriminatory practice?
- Poll taxes
- Grandfather clauses
- Literacy tests
- White primaries
Answer: Literacy tests
Which prominent civil rights leader, initially a member of the Nation of Islam, advocated for black empowerment and self-defense before his assassination in 1965?
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Stokely Carmichael
- Malcolm X
- Huey Newton
Answer: Malcolm X
Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, which revolutionary socialist organization advocated for self-defense and community programs for African Americans?
- SNCC
- SCLC
- Black Panthers
- NAACP
Answer: Black Panthers
Cesar Chavez was a prominent labor leader and civil rights activist known for co-founding the National Farm Workers Association and leading the Delano grape strike, primarily advocating for the rights of which group?
- Textile factory workers
- Coal miners
- Farm workers
- Automobile industry workers
Answer: Farm workers
The American Indian Movement (AIM), founded in 1968, and the Occupation of Alcatraz Island (1969-1971) were both efforts to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of which group?
- Asian Americans
- Native Americans
- Hispanic Americans
- African Americans
Answer: Native Americans
Which influential feminist writer and activist authored "The Feminine Mystique" and co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966?
- Gloria Steinem
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Betty Friedan
- Sandra Day O'Connor
Answer: Betty Friedan
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