Hello, I'm Mr. Marchin and I'll be your history teacher for today.

I'm really looking forward to starting our learning journey together, and my role will be to make sure that you can meet today's learning objective.

Welcome to today's lesson, which is part of our unit on civil rights in the USA, where we're asking ourselves, how successful was the Civil Rights movement? By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to assess the impact of Martin Luther King's peaceful protest movements between 1963 and 1966.

There are two key words which will help us navigate our way through today's lesson.

Those are disenfranchisement and ghetto.

Disenfranchisement is when the right to vote is taken away from a group of people.

And a ghetto is an area of a city where people of a particular race or religion live, especially a poor area.

Today's lesson will be split into three parts, and we'll begin by thinking about Birmingham, Washington and Selma.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Was a young pastor at a church in Montgomery when a boycott of the segregated buses in the town was launched in 1955.

King was one of the leaders of the boycott, which helped him develop a national reputation as a leader in the Civil rights movement.

As was the case with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, King supported the use of direct action to protest against racial discrimination in the USA.

king was also clear in his belief that African Americans must stick to peaceful protest in order to be successful.

King worried that radical or violent action by African Americans would make change harder to achieve by upsetting white Americans who held most political power in the USA.

So thinking about what we've just heard, I want you to write the missing word for the following sentence.

Martin Luther King believed blank protest was the most effective way of achieving civil rights progress.

So what's the missing word? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the missing word was peaceful.

Martin Luther King believed peaceful protest was the most effective way of achieving civil rights progress.

In the early 1960s, King helped organise three peaceful protests as part of the Civil Rights Movement.

In April, 1963, the Birmingham campaign took place.

In August, 1963, the March on Washington was organised, and in March, 1965, the Selma to Montgomery March took place.

So we'll think about each of these in turn.

The city of Birmingham in Alabama was one of the most segregated in the USA, the chief of police, Eugene Bull Connor, already had a reputation for acting harshly, and it was believed he could be easily provoked to use violence.

In May, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr helped lead the Birmingham campaign, a series of coordinated large scale protests, including sit-ins, mass meetings and peaceful marches.

Around 30,000 people participated in one of the marches through Birmingham, and many of these people, including King himself, were arrested.

Soon the city's jails became so full that police Chief Bull Connor ordered police to attack the protestors with dogs, water cannons, tear gas and electric cattle prods to try and deter them from the streets in the first place.

By this point, many of the protestors were students and some were even young children.

TV footage and images of the police attacks like Bill Hudson's photo of high school student Walter Gadson being attacked by dogs spread across the country and abroad.

Within a week, an agreement was reached between King and city officials that desegregated most of Birmingham's public facilities.

So let's check our understanding of what we've just heard.

We have a statement on the screen that reads, the organisers at the Birmingham campaign did not expect violence.

Is that statement true or false, pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was false, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first says that organisers like King planned for protesters to fight back if they were attacked.

And the second says that Birmingham's chief of police Bull Connor already had a reputation for violence.

So which one of those justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was B, Birmingham's Chief of Police, Bull Connor, already had a reputation for violence, and this is why Birmingham was selected for protest in May, 1963, it was believed that bull Connor could be easily provoked, After the success in a Birmingham campaign, civil rights organisations agreed to stage a march on Washington to continue emphasising the need for change.

President Kennedy feared the march would turn to violence and asked for it to be called off.

Nevertheless, the march went ahead.

In August, 1963, 250,000 protestors travelled by train, plane, bus, car and foot to attend the march, including 40,000 white Americans.

At the time, this was the largest political gathering in American political history.

Television broadcasts meant the march was watched across the USA and around the world.

Several civil rights leaders gave speeches, including Martin Luther King.

It was on this occasion that King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream Speech".

King provided examples of racial injustice in the USA and ended the speech by sharing his hope that his own children would one day live in a country where they would be judged by their characters, not by the colour of their skin.

So thinking about what we've just heard, how many people participated in the March on Washington? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that there were 250,000 protestors who participated in the march on Washington, including 40,000 white participants.

Like many other places in the South, African Americans in Selma, Alabama found that many restrictions on voting had left them disenfranchised.

In fact, by the start of 1965, only 383 out to 15,000 black residents in Selma had been able to vote to address the issue around racist disenfranchisement, King agreed to lead a march from Selma to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, where a petition could be presented to the state governor.

600 protestors set out on the 7th of March, but made little progress before the Alabama police used battens, electric cattle prods and tear gas to push them back to Selma.

Even when protesters ran away, they were still attacked by the police.

The brutal police response was captured and shown on TV around the world, and the events at the 7th of March became known as bloody Sunday.

So let's make sure we have a clear understanding of everything we've just discussed.

What issue was the march from Selma to Montgomery supposed to protest? Was it continued segregation, poof job opportunities or voter disenfranchisement? Pause video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was C.

The Selma to Montgomery March was supposed to protest voter disenfranchisement because there were only 383 black Americans living in Selma and to a population of 15,000 African Americans who could vote.

So now we're ready to put our knowledge of the protests in Birmingham, Washington, and Selma into practise.

I want you to study the descriptions in the table and identify whether each description is referring to events from the protests organised in Birmingham, Washington, or Selma.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work.

So I asked you to identify whether each description was referring to events from the protest in Birmingham, Washington or Selma.

For our first description that the protest was against the disenfranchisement of black voters, that was referring to Selma.

Our second description that Martin Luther King made his "I Have A Dream Speech" was referring to the March on Washington.

Our third description that Bull Connor ordered protestors to be attacked with dogs was referring to the Birmingham campaign.

Our fourth description that 250,000 people from across America participated was referring to the March on Washington.

And our final description that it took place in the USA's most segregated city was again referring to the Birmingham campaign.

So really well done if you got each of those descriptions identified correctly.

And now we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson for today where we are going to focus on the impact of peaceful protests.

In the mid 1960s, the US government passed two new laws, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Both of these laws were intended to address many of the injustices faced by African Americans.

Peaceful protests by civil rights campaigners were significant for helping to bring about these new laws.

So let's reflect on what we've just heard, which laws were passed in 1964 and 1965 to support African Americans? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well then to everybody who said that the laws passed in 1964 and 1965 to support African Americans with a 1964 Civil Rights Act and a 1965 Voting Rights Act.

When organising civil rights protests like those in Birmingham, Washington, and Selma, Martin Luther King aimed to emphasise the injustices African Americans faced, to demonstrate that these injustices were not minor issues.

And King believed that if these aims could be met, that white Americans were much more likely to be persuaded of the need for change.

So let's make sure we have a secure understanding of everything we've had so far.

I want you to change one word to correct the following sentence.

Martin Luther King believed it was important to demonstrate that the injustices suffered by African Americans were not major issues.

So consider which word is incorrect and what should it be changed to.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answer.

Okay, well then to everybody who changed the word major to minor, Martin Luther King believed it was important to demonstrate that the injustices suffered by African Americans were not minor issues.

So let's think about the Birmingham campaign.

Birmingham was deliberately chosen for large scale protests.

Violence was actually anticipated by leaders like Martin Luther King and the images that were produced for this campaign shocked audiences in the USA and abroad.

The New York Times called the authorities a national disgrace, and some members of Congress said that the violence could not be tolerated and new civil rights laws were needed.

So whose actions did the New York Times describe as a national disgrace after the Birmingham campaign? Was it the authorities in Birmingham, Martin Luther King's or young black protestors? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was A, the New York Times, a major national newspaper described the authorities in Birmingham as a national disgrace for their attacks on protestors during the Birmingham campaign.

And now we can think about some of the impact of the march on Washington.

250,000 people joined the march.

This included both black and white participants, and it made it clear that many Americans from a range of backgrounds supported action on civil rights.

King's "I Have a Dream" speech, clearly identified the racial injustices that still existed in the USA.

And the fact that so many Americans watched this speech and read about this protest meant that many became more aware of so many issues facing African Americans.

So I want you to study the photo shown on the screen, which inference is most valid based on that photo? That politicians did not always support the Civil rights movement, that the Civil Rights movement had widespread support in the USA or that civil rights protests often suffered violent attacks from opponents.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the most valid inference based on a photograph you provided with was B, that the Civil Rights movement had widespread support in the USA because we can see such a large crowd gathered as part of the March on Washington.

Although statements A and C are both accurate, they're not really valid inferences based on the particular details that we have in this photograph.

And so now we can think about Selma and its impact.

President Lyndon B Johnson privately supported a new voting rights act, but worried that other politicians in Congress would not support this.

However, just a week after events in Selma, President Johnson told Congress that it was necessary to pass a voting rights act immediately.

In fact, the President said "The cause of African Americans must be our cause too because it is all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of injustice." So I want you to study that quote from President Johnson again.

What does it suggest his attitude towards new civil rights laws was after Selma.

Was it that new laws were needed immediately, that new laws were needed, but not immediately, or that no new laws were needed? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was A, we can tell from this quote that after Selma, president Johnson believed new laws were needed immediately.

When images of bloody Sunday were circulated, it caused shock and outrage.

And at that moment, president chose to say that the cause of African Americans was the cause of all Americans.

So we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge about the impact of peaceful protests into practise.

I want you to explain how peaceful protests contributed to the passage of new civil rights laws in the USA in the mid 1960s.

You should consider what happened during peaceful protests to convince law makers of the need for change.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your effort on that task.

So I asked you to explain how peaceful protests contributed to the passage of new civil rights laws in the USA in the mid 1960s.

And your answer may have included, peaceful protests in the mid 1960s had contributed to the passage of new rights laws because they emphasised the injustices African-Americans faced, and showed that these were not minor issues which politicians could ignore.

For instance, during the march for Washington in 1963, televised speeches by speakers like Martin Luther King shared the many problems which African-Americans continued to face.

Furthermore, the participation of 250,000 people, including both white and black Americans showed that there was widespread support for the government to take action.

This helped encourage lawmakers to pass the Civil Rights Act just one year later.

So well done if your own response looks something like that model.

And now we're ready to move on to the third and final part of our lesson for today where we are going to think about the limits of peaceful protest.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act addressed some of the worst forms of racial injustice in the USA.

Nevertheless, racism and discrimination continue to affect the lives of African Americans throughout the USA, not just in the South.

In the three years between 1965 and 1968 when he was assassinated, Martin Luther King continued his civil rights campaigns and stuck to his nonviolent methods.

In 1966, King agreed to lead a civil rights campaign in Chicago, a city in the American North, despite the fact that there had never been officially segregationist laws in the North, unlike in the South, African Americans living in Chicago still faced many forms of racism.

Black Americans were twice as likely to be poor compared to white Americans, and many lived in ghetto conditions which city officials failed to address.

King helped to organise the Chicago Freedom Movement, which involved mass meetings, boycotts, and planned marches through white neighbourhoods in Chicago.

However, these tactics proved much less successful than direct action had proved to be in the South.

There was still violent reactions to the peaceful protests organised as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement.

During one march, an angry mob of white Americans had thrown rocks and glass at protestors, as well as setting their cars on fire.

However, this violence did not attract significant publicity.

An agreement was achieved between King and Richard Daley, the mayor of Chicago, to introduce fairer housing practises, including an agreement to build more homes and make funds available for both white and Black residents of Chicago to help them buy them.

However, once King had left Chicago, Daley simply ignored the agreement.

And no change in policies took place, unlike after protests in Birmingham, Washington and Selma, the federal government showed little interest in taking action to support African Americans in Chicago or to put city officials under pressure to make changes.

So let's reflect on what we've just heard.

Where did Martin Luther King lead peaceful protests? Was it only in the north, only in the south, or in both the north and the south? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was C.

Martin Luther King led peaceful protests in both the North and the South in the USA.

And so let's try another question.

Which of the following was not an issue the Chicago Freedom Movement protested against? Was it segregation laws, unequal pay or ghetto conditions? Pause video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well then to everybody who said that the issue that was not being protested against by the Chicago Freedom Movement was segregation laws.

These were not in place in the north.

However, other forms of discrimination, such as African Americans being left to live in ghetto conditions and suffering from unequal pay were major problems and were things that the Chicago Freedom Movement tried to target.

And let's try another question.

This time we have a statement that reads, the Chicago Freedom Movement did not have a long lasting impact.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was true, but we need to be able to justify our response.

So two justifications have appeared on the screen.

The first says that the Mayor of Chicago broke his agreements on housing as soon as Martin Luther King left the city.

And the second says that Martin Luther King was assassinated during the protest, which was ended early.

So which one of those two justifications is correct? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct justification was A, unlike in his campaigns in Birmingham, Washington and Selma, the Chicago Freedom Movement was not a long-term success.

The Mayor of Chicago broke his agreements with Martin Luther King as soon as King had left the city, and that meant that the black residents of Chicago felt little benefit after 1966.

So now we're ready to put all of our knowledge about peaceful protests from today's lesson into practise.

We have a view from Jun who says, in the mid 1960s, peaceful protest helped lead to improvements in the lives of African Americans.

And I want you to do two things for task C.

Firstly, explain one reason why Jun could be considered correct, and then secondly, explain one reason why Jun could be considered incorrect.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all your hard work on that task.

So firstly, I asked you to explain one reason why Jun could be considered correct, and your answer may have included, Jun could be considered correct because peaceful protests help create the pressure for new civil rights legislation.

For example, the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 protested racist disenfranchisement in the South, when the march was attacked on bloody Sunday, images spread of peaceful protestors being confronted by brutal police action.

This created outrage and convinced President Johnson that the time was right to challenge racial injustice and introduce a voting rights act, which was passed into law the same year.

It's really well done if your own response looks something like that model there.

And for the second part of task C, I asked for you to explain one reason why Jun could be considered incorrect.

And your answer may have included, Jun could be considered incorrect because peaceful protests like the Chicago Freedom Movement had little success.

Peaceful protests led by Martin Luther King in 1966 did create enough pressure to push Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley into agreeing fairer housing practises.

However, this led to little improvement in the lives of African Americans because once King had left the city, Daley simply ignored the agreement.

Consequently, African Americans in Chicago continue to live in poor ghetto conditions.

So again, really well done if your own response looks something like that model, which we've seen there.

And that means we've now reached the end of today's lesson, which puts us in a good position to summarise our learning about Martin Luther King and peaceful protests.

We see that Martin Luther King Jr helped organise major peaceful protests in Birmingham, Washington, and Selma between 1963 and 1965, peaceful protests between 1963 and 1965 aimed to put pressure on federal lawmakers to make changes.

The campaigns led by King contributed towards the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act.

However, King's campaign in the North in 1966 had limited impact on the injustices faced by African Americans in Chicago.

So really well done for all of your effort throughout today's lesson.

It's been a pleasure to help guide you through our resources, and I look to seeing you again in future as we think further about rights in the USA, and continue to ask ourselves, how successful was the American Civil Rights Movement?.