Paper rights made real

History · The Modern World · ages 15-16

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
- Parks's 1955 refusal to move
- A court ordering buses to close down
- Bus drivers demanding higher wages
What is the difference between a right on paper and a right in practice?
- There is never any difference at all
- Legal rights can still be obstructed
- Paper rights are always stronger than real ones
Name one law or ruling won after years of campaigning.
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- A law banning all public marches
- A ruling that votes need property tests
Why did campaigning continue after the 1964 and 1965 Acts passed?
- The laws enforced themselves everywhere at once
- The laws still needed enforcement
- Activists had nothing else to do
Boycotts hit shop tills while lawsuits attacked statutes. Why use both?
- They reached different authorities
- One method alone always wins faster
- Courts and shops are the same target
Anti-apartheid campaigning included boycotts, marches, and pressure for international sanctions.
Circle one: True False
A town's fee-charging pool segregates customers. Many residents will join a campaign. Which opening move puts sustained pressure on the operator?
- A single angry speech with no follow-up
- Wait silently for attitudes to drift
- A disciplined boycott aimed where it hurts, building toward law
A mayor says passing an equality law ends the struggle the same day. What does Montgomery teach?
- Boycotts always fail within weeks
- Courts never follow public pressure
- Rulings plus patience and pressure turn paper into practice

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Paper rights made real W1-mt_t4C-tlQd04-s1

Parks's 1955 refusal to move · Parks's refusal and arrest prompted a boycott organised by Montgomery's Black community. The boycott cost the company fares; it did not destroy it.
Legal rights can still be obstructed · A legal promise and the ability to use it can differ when discrimination or violence blocks access.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 · Years of civil rights campaigning helped secure the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The laws still needed enforcement · Passing a law did not automatically end discrimination. People still had to use and enforce the new protections.
They reached different authorities · Boycotts put economic pressure on businesses. Lawsuits asked courts to rule against discriminatory laws.
True · Campaigners in South Africa and their supporters abroad used these methods against apartheid. They were not the only methods or causes of change.
A disciplined boycott aimed where it hurts, building toward law · An organised boycott targets the operator's income. Its result would depend on participation, the target, and the wider campaign.
Rulings plus patience and pressure turn paper into practice · The boycott continued after the federal ruling while the city appealed. Desegregation followed later, showing that a ruling and change in practice can be separated in time.