Selma March

Lyndon Johnson

Definition and Summary of the Selma March
Summary and Definition: There were three Selma marches in 1965 as part of the Voting Rights Movement. The First March from Selma, began on March 7, 1965 and was organized by John Lewis, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and one of the original Freedom Riders. The purpose of the demonstration was part of a voting registration campaign in Selma, the seat of Dallas County, Alabama, which had a record of consistent resistance to black voting. The Selma marchers were met with violence from heavily armed state troopers who used tear-gas clubs and horses to dispel the participants.

There was extensive television and newspapers coverage of the Selma March which became known as "Bloody Sunday". Demonstrations in support of the marchers were held in 80 towns and cities. A short, "symbolic" second march was made on March 9, 1965. The third March from Selma  to Montgomery, Alabama, led Dr. Martin Luther King was highly protected. It began on 21 March 1965 from Selma and ended on 25 March 1965 in Montgomery. The demonstrations resulted in the Voting Rights Act passing into law less than five months following the protest marches.

     
   

Selma to Montgomery March
Lyndon B Johnson was the 36th American President who served in office from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969. One of the important events during his presidency was the series of Selma Marches.

Selma March Facts for kids
The following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on the Selma to Montgomery Marches.

Selma March Facts for kids

Selma March Facts - 1: African Americans continued to have difficulty registering to vote in many areas and voter registration campaigns met with intimidation and bitter, often violent, opposition.

Selma March Facts - 2: African Americans made up almost half the population, but only 2% were registered voters.

Selma March Facts - 3: The First March from Selma  to Montgomery, Alabama, took place on March 7, 1965 and was organized by John Lewis a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who had been one of the original 1961 Freedom Riders. John Lewis became one of the "Big Six" leaders of the Civil Rights Movement

Selma March Facts - 4: The first Selma marchers, who numbered about 600, were met with violence from heavily armed state troopers and were tear-gassed, clubbed and trampled by horses at the edge of the city, by the Edmund Pettus Bridge. More than fifty of the marchers were hospitalized.

Selma March Facts - 5: There was extensive television and newspapers coverage of the event that became known as "Bloody Sunday".

Selma March Facts - 6: Demonstrations in support of the marchers, protesting against the violence of Bloody Sunday, were held in 80 towns and cities across the nation. Dr. Martin Luther King called for civil rights supporters to come to Selma for a second "symbolic" March to Selma on March 9, 1965 to highlight the voting issue.

Selma March Facts - 7: The second march to Selma on March 9, 1965 ended abruptly at a barricade of state troopers. Dr. Martin Luther King turned it around at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the same bridge that had been the scene of the violent conflict.

Selma March Facts - 8: The abandonment of the second Selma March caused tension with the more militant activists in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who were advocating more radical tactics. The SNCC were moving from the non-violent protests of Dr. Martin Luther King to more active opposition to racism.

Continued...

Selma March Facts for kids

Facts about the Selma March for kids
The following fact sheet continues with facts about Selma Marches.

Selma March Facts for kids

Selma March Facts - 9: Dr. Martin Luther King and other Civil Rights leaders sought court protection for a third, full-scale march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery.

Selma March Facts - 10: On March 20, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued an executive order federalizing the Alabama National Guard and authorizes whatever federal forces the Defense Secretary deems necessary.

Selma March Facts - 11: On Sunday 21 March 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King  led the third, 54-mile (87 km), march from Selma to Montgomery. It was attended by 3,200 marchers and was protected by 2,000 U.S. Army soldiers, 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under Federal command, closely watched by many FBI agents and Federal Marshals.

Selma March Facts - 12: The marchers walked at a pace of about 12 miles each day, and slept in fields along the way. By the time they reached the state capital of Montgomery on Thursday, March 25, their numbers had swelled to over 25,000.

Selma March Facts - 13: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Johnson on August 6, 1965 to safeguard the right to vote of Black Americans and banning the use of literacy tests.

Selma March Facts - 14: Less than five months after the three marches, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The new law had an immediate impact on African Americans. By the end of 1965 250,000 new black voters had been registered

Selma March Facts - 15: The Selma  to Montgomery march has been re-enacted many times on its anniversary. In 1996 the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail was created by Congress

Selma March Facts for kids

Selma March - President Lyndon Johnson Video
The article on the Selma March provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following Lyndon Johnson video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 36th American President whose presidency spanned from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969.

Selma March

● Interesting Facts about Selma March for kids and schools
● Summary of the Selma March in US history
● The Selma March, a major event in US history
● Lyndon Johnson from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969
● Fast, fun facts about the Selma March
● Foreign & Domestic policies of President Lyndon Johnson
● Lyndon Johnson Presidency and Selma March for schools, homework, kids and children

Selma March - US History - Facts - Major Event - Voting Rights Act - Definition - American - US - USA - Voting Rights Act - America - Dates - United States - Kids - Children - Schools - Homework - Important - Facts - Issues - Key - Main - Major - Events - History - Interesting - Voting Rights Act - Info - Information - American History - Facts - Historical - Major Events - Voting Rights Act

ⓒ 2017 Siteseen Limited First Published Cookies Policy Author
Updated 2018-01-09 Publisher Siteseen Limited Privacy Statement