AP US History Flashcards: African American Civil Rights Movement 1960s

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on African American Civil Rights Movement 1960s, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP US History.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Which act did President Lyndon B. Johnson sign into law on August 6, 1965?

Answer: The Voting Rights Act of 1965. Followed the Selma marches and removed voting barriers.

Flashcard 2: Identify the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Answer: Memphis, Tennessee. Shot on April 4, 1968, while supporting striking workers.

Flashcard 3: Identify the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Answer: Shirley Chisholm. Elected in 1968, breaking barriers in national politics.

Flashcard 4: What was the outcome of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer?

Answer: Increased voter registration in Mississippi. College volunteers helped register Black voters despite violence.

Flashcard 5: Which city was the focus of major civil rights demonstrations, including the 1963 campaign?

Answer: Birmingham, Alabama. Known for harsh police tactics against peaceful demonstrators.

Flashcard 6: Who was the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962?

Answer: James Meredith. Required federal troops to ensure his enrollment and safety.

Flashcard 7: What was the purpose of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign?

Answer: To protest segregation and racial injustice. Used children as protesters, leading to violent police response.

Flashcard 8: Which act banned discrimination in housing in 1968?

Answer: The Fair Housing Act. Completed the civil rights legislative trilogy of the 1960s.

Flashcard 9: What was the purpose of the Freedom Rides in the early 1960s?

Answer: To challenge segregation in interstate bus terminals. Tested Supreme Court decisions banning segregated travel.

Flashcard 10: What major event in 1961 involved riding buses into the segregated South?

Answer: The Freedom Rides. Interstate travelers tested federal desegregation rulings.

Flashcard 11: What significant achievement did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplish?

Answer: It prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Eliminated literacy tests and other barriers to voting.

Flashcard 12: Identify the city where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Answer: Memphis, Tennessee. Shot on April 4, 1968, while supporting striking workers.

Flashcard 13: Who delivered the 'Ballot or the Bullet' speech in 1964?

Answer: Malcolm X. Advocated for Black nationalism and self-determination.

Flashcard 14: Who was the prominent leader advocating for the separation of races?

Answer: Malcolm X. Broke with civil rights movement over integration versus separation.

Flashcard 15: What was the significance of the 1968 Kerner Commission Report?

Answer: It analyzed urban riots and recommended remedies. Found that white racism caused urban unrest and poverty.

Flashcard 16: What was the main goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s?

Answer: To end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Aimed to dismantle Jim Crow laws and achieve equal rights.

Flashcard 17: What was the main strategy used by the Civil Rights Movement to achieve its goals?

Answer: Nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Gandhi's influence shaped peaceful resistance to segregation.

Flashcard 18: What major event in 1961 involved riding buses into the segregated South?

Answer: The Freedom Rides. Interstate travelers tested federal desegregation rulings.

Flashcard 19: What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1968?

Answer: It banned discrimination in housing. Also known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Flashcard 20: Which organization was founded in 1966 to advocate for self-defense and Black empowerment?

Answer: The Black Panther Party. Emphasized armed self-defense and community empowerment programs.

Flashcard 21: Which civil rights leader was known for his work on economic justice?

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Later focused on poverty through Poor People's Campaign.

Flashcard 22: Which amendment abolished poll taxes, a barrier to voting for African Americans?

Answer: The 24th Amendment. Eliminated financial barriers that prevented poor from voting.

Flashcard 23: Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?

Answer: Thurgood Marshall. NAACP lawyer who argued Brown case before joining Court.

Flashcard 24: Who was the prominent civil rights leader assassinated in 1968?

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Killed in Memphis while supporting sanitation workers' strike.

Flashcard 25: What was the outcome of the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins?

Answer: Desegregation of Woolworth's lunch counters. Student sit-ins spread nationwide, desegregating many businesses.

Flashcard 26: What was the main focus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?

Answer: To coordinate nonviolent protests against segregation. Founded by MLK to organize Southern churches for civil rights.

Flashcard 27: Identify the African American leader who advocated for Black Power in the 1960s.

Answer: Stokely Carmichael. Popularized the slogan 'Black Power' in civil rights activism.

Flashcard 28: What was the focus of the 1967 'Black Power' movement?

Answer: Emphasizing racial pride and self-sufficiency. Shifted from integration to Black self-determination and pride.

Flashcard 29: Who were the 'Little Rock Nine'?

Answer: Nine African American students integrating Central High School. Faced violent mobs while integrating Arkansas school in 1957.

Flashcard 30: Which event is known for Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech?

Answer: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963. Delivered before 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial.

Flashcard 31: Which Supreme Court decision in 1954 declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional?

Answer: Brown v. Board of Education. Overturned 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.

Flashcard 32: What was the significance of the 1968 Kerner Commission Report?

Answer: It analyzed urban riots and recommended remedies. Found that white racism caused urban unrest and poverty.

Flashcard 33: Who was the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962?

Answer: James Meredith. Required federal troops to ensure his enrollment and safety.

Flashcard 34: Name the organization founded in 1909 that played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Answer: The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Led legal challenges including Brown v. Board case.

Flashcard 35: What was the outcome of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer?

Answer: Increased voter registration in Mississippi. College volunteers helped register Black voters despite violence.

Flashcard 36: Which act did President Lyndon B. Johnson sign into law on August 6, 1965?

Answer: The Voting Rights Act of 1965. Followed the Selma marches and removed voting barriers.

Flashcard 37: Who was the prominent civil rights leader assassinated in 1968?

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Killed in Memphis while supporting sanitation workers' strike.

Flashcard 38: Who was Emmett Till, and why is he significant?

Answer: A murdered teenager; his death galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. His lynching exposed brutal Southern racism to national attention.

Flashcard 39: What was the focus of the 1967 'Black Power' movement?

Answer: Emphasizing racial pride and self-sufficiency. Shifted from integration to Black self-determination and pride.

Flashcard 40: Who was the prominent leader advocating for the separation of races?

Answer: Malcolm X. Broke with civil rights movement over integration versus separation.

Flashcard 41: Which amendment abolished poll taxes, a barrier to voting for African Americans?

Answer: The 24th Amendment. Eliminated financial barriers that prevented poor from voting.

Flashcard 42: Who was Emmett Till, and why is he significant?

Answer: A murdered teenager; his death galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. His lynching exposed brutal Southern racism to national attention.

Flashcard 43: Identify the key leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement known for nonviolent protest.

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Advocated peaceful resistance inspired by Gandhi's methods.

Flashcard 44: What was the primary goal of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?

Answer: To organize younger African Americans in protests. Focused on empowering young activists through grassroots organizing.

Flashcard 45: What was the main issue addressed by the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party?

Answer: Exclusion of African Americans from the political process. Challenged all-white delegation at Democratic National Convention.

Flashcard 46: What was the outcome of the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins?

Answer: Desegregation of Woolworth's lunch counters. Student sit-ins spread nationwide, desegregating many businesses.

Flashcard 47: Who delivered the 'Ballot or the Bullet' speech in 1964?

Answer: Malcolm X. Advocated for Black nationalism and self-determination.

Flashcard 48: Which city was the focus of major civil rights demonstrations, including the 1963 campaign?

Answer: Birmingham, Alabama. Known for harsh police tactics against peaceful demonstrators.

Flashcard 49: Which act banned discrimination in housing in 1968?

Answer: The Fair Housing Act. Completed the civil rights legislative trilogy of the 1960s.

Flashcard 50: Which civil rights leader was known for his work on economic justice?

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Later focused on poverty through Poor People's Campaign.

Flashcard 51: What was the purpose of the 1963 March on Washington?

Answer: To advocate for civil and economic rights. Combined civil rights demands with economic justice goals.

Flashcard 52: Which landmark legislation was passed in 1964 to combat racial discrimination?

Answer: The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment.

Flashcard 53: Which event is known for the arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955?

Answer: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks' arrest sparked this year-long successful boycott.

Flashcard 54: What was the main focus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?

Answer: To coordinate nonviolent protests against segregation. Founded by MLK to organize Southern churches for civil rights.

Flashcard 55: What was the primary goal of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?

Answer: To organize younger African Americans in protests. Focused on empowering young activists through grassroots organizing.

Flashcard 56: Which organization was founded in 1966 to advocate for self-defense and Black empowerment?

Answer: The Black Panther Party. Emphasized armed self-defense and community empowerment programs.

Flashcard 57: Which 1965 event highlighted the struggle for voting rights in Selma, Alabama?

Answer: Bloody Sunday. Peaceful marchers were brutally attacked on Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Flashcard 58: Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?

Answer: Thurgood Marshall. NAACP lawyer who argued Brown case before joining Court.

Flashcard 59: What was the purpose of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign?

Answer: To protest segregation and racial injustice. Used children as protesters, leading to violent police response.

Flashcard 60: Identify the African American leader who advocated for Black Power in the 1960s.

Answer: Stokely Carmichael. Popularized the slogan 'Black Power' in civil rights activism.

Flashcard 61: What was the role of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the 1960s?

Answer: To organize protests against segregation. Organized sit-ins and Freedom Rides to challenge segregation.

Flashcard 62: What was the purpose of the 1963 March on Washington?

Answer: To advocate for civil and economic rights. Combined civil rights demands with economic justice goals.

Flashcard 63: What was the main issue addressed by the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party?

Answer: Exclusion of African Americans from the political process. Challenged all-white delegation at Democratic National Convention.

Flashcard 64: Who were the 'Little Rock Nine'?

Answer: Nine African American students integrating Central High School. Faced violent mobs while integrating Arkansas school in 1957.

Flashcard 65: What was the main strategy used by the Civil Rights Movement to achieve its goals?

Answer: Nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Gandhi's influence shaped peaceful resistance to segregation.

Flashcard 66: What was the role of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the 1960s?

Answer: To organize protests against segregation. Organized sit-ins and Freedom Rides to challenge segregation.

Flashcard 67: Which Supreme Court decision in 1954 declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional?

Answer: Brown v. Board of Education. Overturned 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.

Flashcard 68: Identify the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Answer: Shirley Chisholm. Elected in 1968, breaking barriers in national politics.

Flashcard 69: What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1968?

Answer: It banned discrimination in housing. Also known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Flashcard 70: Which 1965 event highlighted the struggle for voting rights in Selma, Alabama?

Answer: Bloody Sunday. Peaceful marchers were brutally attacked on Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Flashcard 71: Identify the key leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement known for nonviolent protest.

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Advocated peaceful resistance inspired by Gandhi's methods.

Flashcard 72: What was the main goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s?

Answer: To end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Aimed to dismantle Jim Crow laws and achieve equal rights.

Flashcard 73: Which event is known for the arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955?

Answer: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks' arrest sparked this year-long successful boycott.