Freedom Riders Assignment

docx

School

Porterville College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

70499

Subject

History

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BaronStarRook7326

Fernando Palacios Dr. Baird Hist. P118 Freedom Riders Assignment Notes  May 4, 1961, Washington DC, Day 1 o The Freedom Riders were trained so they could be prepared for what they would face. They would be put in confrontational situations to see how they would react, they needed to act nonviolent. o Jerry Moore along with other Freedom Riders felt confident in themselves on the first day of their journey. For the first few days, the trip was going smoothly, and it was nonviolent. o The Freedom Riders were first inspired by Irene Morgan who did not want to give up her seat on the bus and was arrested. Her case went all the way up to the Supreme Court and they ruled against segregation in buses.  May 14,1961, Atlanta Georgia, Day 11 o Two buses of the Riders were set to go to Birmingham Alabama but only one made it. o Once the bus made it to the bus station in Anniston over 200 men surrounded the bus, and they were harassed by them. They tried to drive away but one of them was harassing them on the road. The bus was stopped, and the mob came and tried

to burn down the bus. The passengers got off and then the mob started to beat them. o Bull Connor opposed the civil rights movement and wanted the South to stay the way it was. He made a deal with the police that would allow the mob to do anything to the Riders for 15 minutes without consequence. The mob then broke out in violence against the mob and reporters documented and published photos of the events the public and the Kennedy Administration started to notice. Even the whole world started to find out what was happening.  May 16, 1961, Nashville Tennessee, Day 13 o Diane Nash believed in continuing the fight so that the movement would not be suppressed. Many college students decided to drop out of school to continue the fight as well.  May 17, 1961, Birmingham Alabama, Day 14 o Once they arrived at the terminal the Riders were arrested and taken out of the state line and told to leave. They persisted and went back to the terminal. The Klan harassed them there until the Kennedy Administration forced the governor’s hand to protect them.  May 20, 1961, Montgomery, Alabama, Day 17 o Although they had protection, once they got to Montgomery, the police abandoned the Riders. They were once again stuck at the terminal and then the mob came out and attacked the reporter and then the Riders. It was a very violent chaotic event and police stood by watching. Even US official, John Seigenthaler, was knocked out.

o After this event, US Marshals were sent to Montgomery.  May 21, 1961, Montgomery Alabama, Day 18 o Martin Luther King Jr. and other important figures call a meeting for the movement in a church. While in there, a group of white people show up and start terrorizing the church. MLK tells them that they must persevere through this and keep their head up. MLK also had a phone connection to RFK and was seeking help. o Governor Patterson put the town in Marshal Law which disbanded the mob. This was done out of order from the Federal Government which showed they were with the movement.  May 23, 1961, Montgomery Alabama, Day 20 o The Riders want MLK to ride with them so the movement could have media coverage, but he refused because he said that he was on probation. They did not understand as they had been arrested many times and some saw MLK as believing he was above them.  May 24, 1961, Jacksonville Mississippi, Day 21 o The Kennedy Administration finally decided to protect the Freedom Riders through their trip to Alabama to Mississippi. When the Riders entered Mississippi, they were arrested. He sent them to one of the worst and harshest prisons in the South. The Riders decided to fill up the prison and use it as a site of the movement. o People all over the country started to join the movement. On September 22, the ICC made the decision to tear down the segregation signs. Now the whole

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

movement celebrated this victory and knew with their nonviolent ways, they could do anything. Summary The film depicted the impact and importance that the Freedom Riders had during the Civil Rights movement. The Freedom Riders were first inspired by Irene Morgan in July 1944 when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. The journey started on May 4, 1961 in Washington DC. The Riders had been trained beforehand on how to handle confrontational situations because they had to be ready for anything and know to stay non-violent. For the first few days of the journey, there was not much violence. On May 14, 1961 in Atlanta Georgia, it was the eleventh day and the Freedom Riders set out on two buses that were set to go to Birmingham Alabama but only made it. The one that did make it to the station in Anniston, the bus was surrounded by a mob that terrorized them. They tried to get away, but the mob chased after them and once the bus was stopped, the mob tried to burn down the bus. This type of violence went on for numerous occasions and even in some situations, the police would stand by and doing nothing. In one instance Bull Connor, the commissioner of public safety of Birmingham Alabama, made a deal with the police that would let a mob do anything they wanted to the Riders for fifteen minutes with out consequence. Although the Kennedy Administration wanted to help, they were hesitant because they needed the votes of the people from the South, and mostly relied on the states solving the issue. On May 16 in Nashville, Tennessee it was the thirteenth day and hope was starting to fade. That is when Diane Nash, a college student at Frisk University, stepped up and said that the Freedom Rides needed to continue so the movement would not be suppressed. Many students followed her and

dropped out of college to join the movement. Violence continued throughout the rest of the days and then a meeting was called by Martin Luther King Jr and other important figures of the movement in a church in Montgomery Alabama, on May 21, the eighteenth day. They were once again terrorized in the church but MLK had a direct phone line to Robert F. Kennedy and he asked for help. Governor Patterson then put the town into Martial law and made the mob go away. This gave confidence that the federal government was on the side of the movement. On May 24 in Jacksonville Mississippi, on the twenty-first day, the Riders were arrested and taken to prison. They were sent to one of the worst and harshest prisons of the South where the Governor thought he would make an example out of them. The Riders decided that they would fill up the prison and any prison and make them a site for the movement to show no fear. People all over the country started to participate in the movement. After pleading from the federal government to the ICC, on September 22, the ICC decided that it would tear down all segregation signs in the South. This was an outstanding victory for the movement and knew that with non-violent protests, they could do anything. Final Paragraph The students that went under Diane Nash were potentially risking their future. They were giving up their education because going on the rides meant that they had to drop out of school. I think I would have gone on the bus because they were fighting for basic human rights that could have easily affected me. In a country that claimed to have to “peace, justice, and liberty for all”, it was no doubt the right cause to fight for, no matter how hard or dangerous it might be. At first the federal government was hesitant to respond to the rides because they saw it as a nuisance and thought that the states should handle it. Once enough attention was brought to the issue and

people all over the world saw how the Riders were being treated in their own country, the federal government decided to do something. They at first pleaded with the Riders to abandon their protest but then demanded the states to offer them protection. The legacy of the Freedom Riders was that they should that any civil issue can be solved with peaceful protest. They showed that they did not need to use violence to their voices heard and how far we can go if we all work together. I really enjoyed the film and I think it is a very important part in our history that we should never forget.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version