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History Quiz - Racial Unrest and Civil Rights in the USA 03 (Questions)

This KS3 History quiz is about racial unrest and civil rights in the USA. The USA is known as the 'land of the free', yet black Americans had to campaign long and hard in history for equal civil rights. Things were starting to change by the 1950s, for example, in 1954, the US government passed a law that it was no longer legal to segregate schoolchildren. The 1950s and 1960s saw many protests by civil rights groups. The majority of these were peaceful, for example, sit-ins. In 1960, students formed the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) to organise them.

As well as the SNCC protests, many other civil rights groups were campaigning. In the city of Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr. set up the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Their aim was to end all forms of segregation. In 1963, Birmingham in Alabama was said to be the most racially segregated city in America. The town authorities obtained a legal ban on civil rights protests but the SCLC protested anyway. Many people were arrested, including Martin Luther King.

1. In April 1963 race protests occurred where in Alabama?
[ ] Birmingham
[ ] Florence
[ ] Montgomery
[ ] Troy
2. What type of people set up the civil rights group SNCC?
[ ] Lawyers
[ ] Nurses
[ ] Shopkeepers
[ ] Students
3. The SNCC mainly used what type of protest?
[ ] Hunger strikes
[ ] Raising petitions
[ ] Riots
[ ] Sit-ins
4. Who became chairman of SNCC in 1966?
[ ] Charles Brown
[ ] Huey Newton
[ ] James Meredith
[ ] Stokely Carmichael
5. Which civil rights activist was assassinated in 1968?
[ ] James Farmer
[ ] Marcus Garvey
[ ] Martin Luther King
[ ] Thurgood Marshall
6. Which white racist is thought to have killed Martin Luther King?
[ ] Jack Ruby
[ ] James Earl Ray
[ ] Lee Harvey Oswald
[ ] Mark Chapman
7. Where was Martin Luther King assassinated?
[ ] Columbia, South Carolina
[ ] Dallas, Texas
[ ] Jefferson City, Missouri
[ ] Memphis, Tennessee
8. In 1963 over 250,000 civil rights protesters marched in which city?
[ ] Boston
[ ] Detroit
[ ] New Orleans
[ ] Washington
9. In a 1963 speech, Martin Luther King famously said .......
[ ] I got a feeling
[ ] I have a dream
[ ] The future is ours
[ ] The long road to freedom
10. The Watts area of which city saw major riots in 1965?
[ ] Houston
[ ] Los Angeles
[ ] New York
[ ] Seattle

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - The civil rights movement in America

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History Quiz - Racial Unrest and Civil Rights in the USA 03 (Answers)
1. In April 1963 race protests occurred where in Alabama?
[x] Birmingham
[ ] Florence
[ ] Montgomery
[ ] Troy
The city had closed public facilities to avoid having to desegregate
2. What type of people set up the civil rights group SNCC?
[ ] Lawyers
[ ] Nurses
[ ] Shopkeepers
[x] Students
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
3. The SNCC mainly used what type of protest?
[ ] Hunger strikes
[ ] Raising petitions
[ ] Riots
[x] Sit-ins
This was a peaceful way of protesting that makes it hard for businesses or public buildings to carry on as normal
4. Who became chairman of SNCC in 1966?
[ ] Charles Brown
[ ] Huey Newton
[ ] James Meredith
[x] Stokely Carmichael
He took part in the Freedom Rides and was later to become important in the Black Power movement
5. Which civil rights activist was assassinated in 1968?
[ ] James Farmer
[ ] Marcus Garvey
[x] Martin Luther King
[ ] Thurgood Marshall
He used non-violent tactics
6. Which white racist is thought to have killed Martin Luther King?
[ ] Jack Ruby
[x] James Earl Ray
[ ] Lee Harvey Oswald
[ ] Mark Chapman
King's birthday is a national holiday in the USA
7. Where was Martin Luther King assassinated?
[ ] Columbia, South Carolina
[ ] Dallas, Texas
[ ] Jefferson City, Missouri
[x] Memphis, Tennessee
There were race riots in anger at his assassination in many US cities
8. In 1963 over 250,000 civil rights protesters marched in which city?
[ ] Boston
[ ] Detroit
[ ] New Orleans
[x] Washington
About 50,000 of them were white
9. In a 1963 speech, Martin Luther King famously said .......
[ ] I got a feeling
[x] I have a dream
[ ] The future is ours
[ ] The long road to freedom
The speech inspired millions of Americans
10. The Watts area of which city saw major riots in 1965?
[ ] Houston
[x] Los Angeles
[ ] New York
[ ] Seattle
It was about how the police treated a black driver. The same happened in 1992 when arresting police officers were declared innocent of beating a black prisoner