Hello and welcome to today's lesson on the Freedom Rides of 1961.

This lesson is part of a broader inquiry where we'll be looking at why the civil rights movement was more successful from 1960 to 1965.

In the course of this inquiry, we'll cover lots of different things, but for today's lesson, we're just going to focus on the Freedom Rides of 1961.

For this lesson, you're going to need a piece of paper and a pen.

If you don't have one, absolutely fine.

Not to panic.

Just pause the video now, get everything you need ready for the lesson, and then come back and press play when you're ready to go.

Great, now we're ready to get started, we can have a look at our lesson outcome for today.

And by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to describe the events of the Freedom Rides and explain their significance for the civil rights movement.

But in order to do that, we're going to need some keywords.

And for this lesson we've got three keywords; interstate, direct action, and integrated.

Now, we'll see these words regularly through the course of the lesson, and in seeing them in context, you'll get a much better understanding of them.

But before we see them in the context of the lesson, it'll be helpful just to see some definitions quickly.

So first interstate is when a service exists between states.

For example, buses travelling between states would be considered interstate transport.

Direct action is the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal rather than negotiation.

And finally, integrated groups are groups with both Black and White Americans.

So in this lesson, if I refer to an integrated group, you can infer from that description that the group included both Black and White Americans.

Now we've had a look at a few key words, we can get started on today's lesson.

And in the first part of this lesson, we'll be building up to look at the Anniston bomb and what on earth that has to do with Freedom Rides.

And don't worry, I will also explain what Freedom rides are.

So in 1960, the Boynton vs Virginia Case was upheld by the Supreme Court, ruling that all interstate transport facilities, for example, bus stations across the USA, were to desegregate.

But despite this, Jim Crow laws were active in bus stations across the south.

So if we have a look at our slide here, we can see a photograph of a segregated coach station.

So although they will order to desegregate, this photograph is one of many pieces of evidence that suggests that wasn't happening.

Before we go on to look at how people responded to this, we're gonna pause and check our understanding of the situation in the South in 1960.

So very quickly for me, I'd like you to answer this question.

In 1960, the Supreme Court upheld the Boynton vs Virginia Case.

What did this lead to? A, all schools were to desegregate, B, all interstate transport facilities were to desegregate or C, transport services across the south were to desegregate.

Pause the video now.

When you've got an answer, come back and press play.

Excellent, we know that the Supreme Court upheld the Boynton vs Virginia Case, and this led to all transport facilities across the south being ordered to desegregate.

It's important to check every now and again that you can tell the difference between cases because you may have learned about the Brown vs Topeka case, which ordered all schools to desegregate.

But that isn't the case that's relevant for our lesson today.

Now, I promise that I would explain to you what the Freedom Rides were and what they have to do with the Anniston bomb because as you can see on the slide here, we've got a photograph of what was left of a Freedom Rider Bus after the bombing at Anniston, Alabama.

But we have a few things to get through before you understand how on earth this happened.

So the Congress of Racial Equality CCORE was a civil rights organisation that formed in 1942, but their membership had declined by the 1950s, and they were looking for new ways to support the civil rights movement.

In May, 1961, members of CORE, together with some members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the SCLC and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC, decided to test how far the Supreme Court's ruling was being carried out.

They would travel through southern states using White only bathrooms, waiting rooms, and facilities at interstate bus stations as a form of non-violent direct action.

The integrated group of Freedom Riders was made up of seven Black Americans and six White Americans.

As they left for Washington DC on the 4th of May, 1961 they faced little opposition in the first part of their journey travelling by bus through North and South Carolina.

But this all changed when they reached Anniston, Alabama.

As we can see in this photo here, this shows significant extreme violent opposition, very different to what I just described as they travelled through North and South Carolina.

On the 14th of May, 1961, one of the buses was firebombed by a mob of nearly 200 racist White Americans.

The mob that held the door shut in an attempt to murder all the Freedom Riders on board.

The Freedom Riders narrowly escaped when the bus fuel tank exploded, forcing the mob backwards.

On escaping the bus, they were then brutally beaten by the mob.

It was only the intervention of a passing highway patrol officer that prevented the Freedom Riders from being lynched.

So what started off as me just telling you about the fact the interstate transport facilities didn't seem to be following the ruling upheld by the Supreme Court, escalated very quickly into extreme levels of violence.

So the Freedom Rides were a planned journey by an integrated group through the South to check that these interstate facilities were actually desegregated as they were meant to be, but they faced violent opposition on reaching Anniston, Alabama, after fairly peacefully travelling through North and South Carolina.

And we can see the impact here.

There's barely anything left of the bus, and we know that had they not been seen by a Highway Patrol officer, it's likely that they would've been lynched by the mob.

Now, before we go on to look at what happened when the Freedom Riders went on in Alabama and Mississippi, we're going to pause and check our understanding of this first part of the Freedom Rides.

So CORE, SNCC, and the SCLC decided to test whether the Boynton vs Virginia ruling was being carried out.

What was their plan? I'd like you to pause the video now and jot down briefly what their plan was.

How did they plan to test whether this ruling was being carried out? Pause the video now and come back when you've got an answer.

So you might have said that their plan was for an integrated group to travel through southern states using White only bathrooms, waiting rooms, and dining facilities at interstate bus stations.

If you did, really well done.

If not, just jot it down quickly so hopefully you remember later.

Secondly, I'd like you to tell me whether this statement is true or false.

Freedom Riders faced minimal opposition.

Pause the video now, make a decision and come back when you've got an answer.

Great work, we know that this statement is false, but we need to think about why.

Is this statement false because one of the buses was firebombed on reaching Anniston? Or false because one of the buses was firebombed as they left Washington DC.

Again, pause the video, when you've got an answer, come back and press play.

Excellent work, hopefully you said that the Freedom Riders faced minimal opposition is a false statement, and that is because one of the buses was firebombed on reaching Anniston.

We do know that they faced minimal opposition on the first part of their journey travelling through North and South Carolina.

But on reaching Anniston, as we just discussed, they faced extreme violence as a mob of nearly 200 racist White Americans tried to hold them in a burning bus in order to murder them.

Now let's put what we've learned into practise.

So I'd like you to have a look at these six statements.

They're all incorrect.

I'd like you to give yourself five to 10 minutes to correct each of the following statements.

Pause the video now and come back when you've corrected all of them.

Excellent work, let's have a look at these corrected statements.

So in 1960, the Boynton vs Virginia Case was upheld by the Supreme Court.

In May, 1961, CORE worked with SNCC and the SCLC to test how far the Supreme Court ruling was being carried out.

The plan was to use nonviolent direct action by using White only facilities at interstate bus stations.

Four, on the 4th of May, 1961, an integrated group of seven Black Americans and six White Americans set out from Washington DC to begin the Freedom Rides.

The Freedom Riders faced little opposition in the first stages of their journey.

And finally, on the 14th of May, 1961, the Freedom Riders were attacked by a mob of nearly 200 racist White Americans, and the bus was firebombed.

Really well done for this part of the lesson.

So now we're going to move on to look at the Freedom Riders in Alabama and Mississippi.

What happened after the attacks in Anniston, Alabama.

So despite the attacks that we already mentioned that happened when they reached Anniston, the Freedom Riders carried on, arriving in Birmingham, Alabama later that day.

In Birmingham, the Freedom Riders found no police protection as another large mob of White Americans began to beat them, many carrying heavy weapons such as metal pipes.

The police chief known as Bull Connor had given all police officers the day off, despite knowing the Freedom Riders were due to arrive and that many White residents had planned violent acts against them.

And here on the slide, we can see a photo of one of the Freedom Riders being attacked by a mob on arriving in Birmingham, Alabama.

Now, images like this of brutally beaten Freedom Riders and the fire bomb bus that we saw earlier, gained international news coverage, placing pressure on Kennedy to intervene.

However, as a result of the extreme violence, CORE could not find a bus driver who was willing to take the Freedom Riders on the rest of the journey and decided to end their involvement in the Freedom Rides.

Now, before we go on to look at how the Freedom Rides were able to continue despite CORE having to withdraw their involvement because they couldn't find anyone to continue the rides, we are just gonna pause and check our understanding so far.

So first, I'd like you to tell me why did the Freedom Riders have no police protection when they arrived in Birmingham? Was it because A, Bull Connor gave all police officers the day off? B, no one knew what time you were arriving? Or C, the Freedom Riders had said they did not need it? Pause the video now, make a decision and then come back and press play.

Excellent, hoping you picked A.

We know that the Police Chief Bull Connor gave all his officers the day off even though he knew that the Freedom Riders were due to arrive that day, and he knew that many White residents had been planning violent attacks against them.

Secondly, I'd like you to make a note of what happened as a result of the brutal attack on the Freedom Riders as they reached Birmingham, Alabama.

Pause the video now and jot a few things down.

So you might have said that the wounded Freedom Riders gained international TV coverage, that the international coverage pushed Kennedy to intervene, and you might have also included the bus drivers were no longer willing to drive the Freedom Riders.

Now let's find out how the Freedom Riders were able to carry on despite CORE withdrawing their supports.

So despite CORE withdrawing their support after the attacks in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the leaders of SNCC, a woman called Diane Nash organised a group of 10 students who were willing to continue the journey.

And with agreement from Robert Kennedy, the brother of President Kennedy, the Freedom Rides continued with state protection on the 20th of May, 1961.

And we can see a photograph of them continuing with federal protection here on this slide.

Now, as they continued on the 20th of May, 1961, they continued with more support, but unfortunately, they were to face more violence almost immediately.

On reaching Montgomery, their police protection abandoned the bus and they were attacked by another group of White Americans.

At this point, Kennedy sent in US troops to protect the Freedom Riders.

But as we can see here, this is the Freedom Riders Bus reaching Jackson, Mississippi on the 24th of May.

And in the description of the photo, we can see that these policemen are waiting for the Freedom Riders to arrive, but they were not waiting for them to provide protection.

They were waiting to arrest them.

27 of the Freedom Riders were arrested by state police for sitting in a Whites only section of the bus station.

Now, the rides continued throughout summer and more than 300 Freedom Riders were imprisoned.

However, on the 22nd of September, the Interstate Commerce Commission was forced to introduce greater regulations to uphold the Boyton vs Virginia ruling, desegregating interstate transport facilities.

So despite the huge levels of violence faced by the Freedom Riders, by the 22nd of September, their actions have been a success.

Greater regulations were being introduced to enforce desegregation on interstate transport facilities.

Now we're going to pause for a moment, check our understanding so far, and look at another practise task before we finish up for today looking at how people responded to these events.

So first I'd like you to tell me whether this statement is true or false.

The Freedom Riders face minimal opposition after leaving Birmingham.

Pause the video now, make a decision and then come back and press play when you're ready to go.

Excellent, we know that this statement is false, but you need to explain why.

Is this statement false because another bus was firebombed in Jackson, Mississippi, or because Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi? Pause the video now, make a decision and then come back when you have an answer.

Excellent, hopefully you went with B because the fact this statement is false is due to the reality that Freedom Riders were arrested on reaching Jackson, Mississippi.

Although it was only 27 arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, over the course of that summer, over 300 Freedom Riders would be arrested.

Very quickly, I want you to jot down for me, as our last checked for understanding for this part of the lesson, how did the Freedom Rides end? Give yourself just a minute or two to jot down a quick answer.

Excellent, hopefully you said that on the 22nd of September, the Interstate Commerce Commission was forced to introduce greater regulations to uphold the Boynton vs Virginia ruling, desegregating interstate transport facilities.

So now you're gonna have a go at putting this into practise.

And in order to do that, you're going to need to read Jacob's statement.

"After the Freedom Riders were bombed in Jackson, Mississippi, they continued on to Birmingham, Alabama.

On arriving in Birmingham, they were attacked by a small group of White Americans despite Bull Connor sending his officers to support the Freedom Riders.

With some news coverage and the support of Kennedy, the Freedom Ride continued.

Unfortunately, they would continue to be attacked and many were arrested on reaching Anniston, Alabama.

Despite this, the rides continued and greater regulations were introduced in September, 1960." Now, Jacob's got a few things wrong there, and when I say a few, I mean five.

So for this task, I'd like you to identify the five main errors in Jacob's statement and come back when you've identified all five.

Excellent, hopefully you picked out these five.

He said there were firebombed in Jackson, Mississippi.

I don't know about that.

They were attacked by a small group of White Americans.

Again, don't think that's correct.

Despite Bull Connor sending in his officers to support the Freedom Riders, that might need some work.

With some news coverage.

Again, I'm not sure about that.

And then he said that they would continue to be attacked and many were arrested on reaching Anniston, Alabama.

Again, that's not quite right either.

So what I would like you to do is to correct the five main errors in Jacob's statement.

Give yourself five to 10 minutes to rewrite this paragraph, correcting all these errors, and when you're done, come back and press play.

Excellent work, so your paragraph should have looked a little something like this.

After the Freedom Riders were bombed in Anniston, Alabama, they continued on to Birmingham, Alabama.

On arriving in Birmingham, they were attacked by a group of 200 White Americans as Bull Connor had given all police officers the day off.

With lots of news coverage and the support of Kennedy, the Freedom Ride continued.

Unfortunately, they would continue to be attacked and many were arrested on reaching Jackson, Mississippi.

Despite this, the rides continued and greater regulations were introduced in September, 1960.

Hopefully you made all those corrections.

If not, just pause the video now and make a note of the things you didn't quite catch.

So in the final part of today's lesson, we're going to be looking at the response to the Freedom Riders because it was quite a mixed response.

So on the one hand, the Freedom Rides were a huge success.

The members of CORE doubled as they raised awareness for the civil rights movement, and there was an increasing number of young White Americans who were protesting against segregation.

The involvement of President Kennedy and his brother created an expectation that significant change was soon to come.

So on the one hand, this was seen as a huge moment of success, lots of things to celebrate, increased support for the civil rights movement, doubling the membership of CORE, the involvement of the President suggesting huge change was to come.

But the photo of the KKK on our slide probably gives you an indication of the other side of the response.

The extreme violence faced by the Freedom Riders was evidence of the violent opposition that still existed.

The KKK had coordinated the attacks on the Freedom Riders in Birmingham, and at many other points of the journey.

It was later even revealed that the FBI knew about the KKK plans to attack the Freedom Riders and had even been informed by a Birmingham police officer that no officers would be working when the Freedom Riders arrived.

So while there were so many things to celebrate, on the one hand, the level of violent opposition that these Freedom Riders faced was evidence of the continued violent opposition that they were facing in their fight for racial justice.

Now, before we finish up for this lesson, we're just gonna check our understanding and have a go at one last practise task.

So first, I would like you to make a note of why the Freedom Rides were a success.

So pause the video now, make a note and then come back and press play.

Hopefully you said that the membership of CORE doubled.

It brought greater awareness to the civil rights movement.

It increased the number of White Americans who were protesting against segregation, and it created an expectation that significant change was to come.

If you didn't get any of those, absolutely fine.

Just pause the video now and jot down anything that you didn't manage to make a note of.

Now, I'm likely to make a quick note of what we learned from the violent opposition, the Freedom Riders faced.

Pause the video, give yourself a couple of minutes, and then come back and press play when you're done.

Excellent, so you might have said that from the extreme violence faced by the Freedom Riders, we can learn that violent opposition to the civil rights movement still existed and was even supported by organisations such as the FBI.

If there's anything in there that you missed, just make a quick note before we move on to our final practise task.

So for our final task today, I would like you to write one paragraph explaining why the Freedom Rides were a success for the civil rights movement.

In your paragraph, I'd like you to make sure you include interstate transport, Anniston, Birmingham, Mississippi, Interstate Commerce Commission and membership.

So pause the video now.

Give yourself up to 10 minutes to complete this paragraph and then come back when you are done.

Excellent, let's have a look at what your answer might have included.

The Freedom Rides were a success because of the immediate changes to regulations on interstate transport, but also because of the impact on support for the civil rights movement.

As a result of the continued work of the Freedom Riders through attacks and arrest in Anniston, Birmingham and Mississippi, the Interstate Commerce Commission were pushed to introduce regulations to make sure that the Boynton vs Virginia ruling was upheld.

They were also a success because it led to the rapid increase in support for the civil rights movement.

Following the Freedom Rides, the membership of CORE doubled with many more White Americans protesting against segregation.

The involvement of the President also gained greater support as many more people believed that change was coming.

Absolutely brilliant work.

If there's a couple things in that paragraph you weren't able to include in yours, just pause the video now and add them to a paragraph.

Now, in the final part of today's lesson, we're just gonna have a look at summary of what we've learned today.

So in looking at the Freedom Rides in 1961, we learned that from 1960 the Supreme Court had ordered that all interstate transport facilities were to desegregate.

But it was clear that this was not happening, particularly in the south.

We also learned that in May, 1961, CORE, SNCC and the SCLC organised an integrated group who would carry out freedom rides to test this ruling.

Despite a fairly calm start, the Freedom Rights went on to face violent opposition in multiple cities, often supported by the KKK, police chiefs, and the FBI.

And finally, we learned that although they faced extremely violent opposition, the Freedom Riders were successful as they raised awareness of the civil rights movement and doubled the membership of CORE.

Really well done, we've covered so much in today's lesson, very impressed.