The March on Washington 1963 and the 1964 Civil Rights Act

Aims: Examine the reasons why the 1963 March on Washington took place. Assess the impact of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Background: After the Birmingham demonstrations, President Kennedy had promised a new law would be passed giving full civil rights to all Americans. It would not be easy to get a new law passed through Congress – most Southern politicians would opposed this. Civil Rights leaders knew that they needed to keep their cause in the headlines, so the March on Washington was organised.

The March on Washington on the 28 th August 1963 was one of the biggest demonstrations in American history – around 200, ,000 men, women and children took took part. The march started at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Abraham Lincoln had been the president who had freed slaves in Washington was packed with peaceful protesters.

‘I have a Dream…’ At the start of the march Martin Luther King made his most famous speech. At the start of the march Martin Luther King made his most famous speech. Within it he outlined his hopes for the future of America. Within it he outlined his hopes for the future of America. This became one of the most famous speeches of the 20 th century. This became one of the most famous speeches of the 20 th century.

The March on Washington was covered live by four national TV channels and gained massive publicity for the cause.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Two weeks after the March on Washington, America was shocked by events in Birmingham, Alabama. A bomber threw 15 sticks of dynamite into the church’s basement. Four young Black girls were killed and 20 people were seriously injured. The bomber, Robert Chambliss was a member of the KKK. He was not arrested for this crime for 14 years.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 and many felt disheartened that Presidential support for the Civil Rights movement was lost. However, the new President Lyndon Johnson made sure a Civil Rights Act became law.

What Was Achieved?   Did not solve discrimination in housing.   Did not give Black people a fair and free vote.   Did not end the activities of the KKK – Blacks still faced fear and violence. No racial discrimination allowed in public places e.g. hotels, restaurants. No discrimination in employment. No segregation in schools, hospitals etc. Federal Government had greater powers to deal with state governments who discriminated against Blacks.

What Next? After the bombing of the 16 th Street Baptist Church, many Black Americans were angry and wanted revenge. Some started to turn against non-violent protest and felt that if Blacks used the threat of violence, at least then the government might send in federal soldiers to protect Black communities. Martin Luther King and other Black leaders argued that this would lead to a loss of public support. To get real change, Blacks needed to be able to exercise their right to vote – they could then use their political power to get rid of racists in local and state governments.

Tasks Read pages of your workguide and complete the following activities: Page 85 question 2 Page 87 question 2 Page 88 question 1-2