Question

chapter 18 section 1 section summary early demands for equality after world war ii, jim crow laws in the south continued to enforce strict separation of the races. segregation that is imposed by law is known as de jure segregation. african americans faced segregation in the north, too, even where there were no explicit laws. de facto segregation, or segregation by unwritten custom, was a fact of life. thurgood marshall, an african american lawyer, worked with civil rights organizations to challenge segregation in the courts. in 1954, brown v. board of education challenged segregated public education at all grade levels. chief justice earl warren wrote the brown decision in which the supreme court agreed that segregated public schools violated the united states constitution. the brown decision overturned the principle of “separate but equal.” it also lent support to the view that all forms of segregation were wrong. in little rock, arkansas, the governor ordered the national guard to block nine african american students from entering the high school. president eisenhower sent federal troops to protect the students and to enforce the court’s decision. however, southern states continued to resist compliance with the law. congress passed the civil rights act of 1957. this act established the u.s. civil rights commission. the law’s main significance was that it was the first civil rights bill passed by congress since reconstruction. it was a small, but important, victory. in 1955, in montgomery, alabama, an african american woman named rosa parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. she was arrested. a core of civil rights activists in montgomery organized a one - day bus boycott to express opposition to park’s arrest and to segregation in general. the next evening, dr. martin luther king, jr., a baptist minister, gave an inspirational speech in which he called upon african americans to protest segregation and oppression in a nonviolent manner. the montgomery bus boycott continued for more than a year. in 1956, the supreme court ruled that the montgomery city law that segregated buses was unconstitutional. the boycott revealed the power african americans could have if they joined together. it also helped king and his philosophy of nonviolence to gain prominence within the civil rights movement. review questions 1. explain the importance of brown v. board of education. 2. how did the montgomery bus boycott strengthen the civil rights movement?

Explanation:

1. Brown v. Board of Education: The 1954 ruling declared segregated public education at all grade levels violated the U.S. Constitution, overturning "separate but equal" and supporting the view that all segregation was wrong. It was a major legal victory for civil - rights.
2. Montgomery bus boycott: Organized after Rosa Parks' arrest, it lasted over a year. The Supreme Court's 1956 ruling that segregated buses were unconstitutional showed African - Americans' collective power and helped Martin Luther King Jr.'s non - violence philosophy gain prominence.

Answer:

1. The Brown v. Board of Education was important because it declared segregated public education to be unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" principle and providing a major legal victory for the civil - rights movement by supporting the view that all forms of segregation were wrong.
2. The Montgomery bus boycott strengthened the civil - rights movement by showing the power African - Americans could have when they joined together. It also led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregated buses were unconstitutional and helped Martin Luther King Jr. and his philosophy of nonviolence gain prominence within the movement.