Trying to study but keep getting distracted by facebook, twitter, youtube, etc etc etc?
Download cold turkey! It is a program that allows you to block websites on your computer for what ever length of time you want. So for example you could get it to just block facebook for 2 hours, or block 10 sites for 20 hours, its up to you, but it really helps to prevent you from getting distracted, especially if you are using your computer for studying.
getcoldturkey.com/
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Studying Tips!
Tip #1 Make a timetable... and stick to it!!
If you make a timetable you will be more organised, and will be very surprised about how much time you actually have and how much you can get done. But you have to stick to it. I used to make loads of timetables and never stuck to them so really it was just wasting time making them.
In order to make it easier to stick to the plan, ensure it is realistic. Dont say you finish school at 4, get food, do work from half 4 until 11, that's just crazy and there is no way you will stick to it, maybe for a day or two a most! schedule in time for eating, for lazying around watching tv or on the internet or going for a walk etc. For example, you finish school at 4, get food, relax for a bit, start work at half 5, work until half 7, take half an hour to watch tv, get a snack, go for a walk, whatever, then work from 8 until 10, that's still four hours studying which is a lot, but taking 2 hours off and finishing at 10.
Also make a list of all your subjects, and all the main topics in each subject. Then when making your timetable, say what you are going to study at each time you intend studying, there is no point wasting half the time when you should be studying deciding what to study!
In the example i gave, there were two two-hour blocks. for that you should take a 5-10 minute break in the middle as it is hard to concentrate for two hours straight and you wont be as focused on what you are doing at the end of it.
Tip #2 Don't forget to have a life!
Yes the leaving cert is important, but it is not the be all and end all! Do not give up your life for it. If you play sports, continue playing them, if you do music, dance, art, drama, or any other hobby, keep it up. it will be better for you in the long run as it will help you relax and it is important to keep doing things you enjoy or you will just get stressed out.
Okay so yeah, if you play sports and have training 2 hours a night, 5 nights a week, i would say cut back a bit, as you do have to work hard as well, but just dont give up completely. You need to keep a balance between th two.
The leaving cert also does not mean you have to stop going out. In fact t is better for you, as you can relax enjoy yourself. Forgetting about the leaving cert and just having fun for a night is great as it will help prevent you from getting stressed out about studying. Say if you want to go out Saturday night, well if you worked from 10-1 and then 2-4 on Saturday then there is no reason you shouldn't go out and enjoy yourself that night. Once again though, like with hobbies above, don't be going out ALL the time, but every so often, there is nothing wrong with it.
If you make a timetable you will be more organised, and will be very surprised about how much time you actually have and how much you can get done. But you have to stick to it. I used to make loads of timetables and never stuck to them so really it was just wasting time making them.
In order to make it easier to stick to the plan, ensure it is realistic. Dont say you finish school at 4, get food, do work from half 4 until 11, that's just crazy and there is no way you will stick to it, maybe for a day or two a most! schedule in time for eating, for lazying around watching tv or on the internet or going for a walk etc. For example, you finish school at 4, get food, relax for a bit, start work at half 5, work until half 7, take half an hour to watch tv, get a snack, go for a walk, whatever, then work from 8 until 10, that's still four hours studying which is a lot, but taking 2 hours off and finishing at 10.
Also make a list of all your subjects, and all the main topics in each subject. Then when making your timetable, say what you are going to study at each time you intend studying, there is no point wasting half the time when you should be studying deciding what to study!
In the example i gave, there were two two-hour blocks. for that you should take a 5-10 minute break in the middle as it is hard to concentrate for two hours straight and you wont be as focused on what you are doing at the end of it.
Tip #2 Don't forget to have a life!
Yes the leaving cert is important, but it is not the be all and end all! Do not give up your life for it. If you play sports, continue playing them, if you do music, dance, art, drama, or any other hobby, keep it up. it will be better for you in the long run as it will help you relax and it is important to keep doing things you enjoy or you will just get stressed out.
Okay so yeah, if you play sports and have training 2 hours a night, 5 nights a week, i would say cut back a bit, as you do have to work hard as well, but just dont give up completely. You need to keep a balance between th two.
The leaving cert also does not mean you have to stop going out. In fact t is better for you, as you can relax enjoy yourself. Forgetting about the leaving cert and just having fun for a night is great as it will help prevent you from getting stressed out about studying. Say if you want to go out Saturday night, well if you worked from 10-1 and then 2-4 on Saturday then there is no reason you shouldn't go out and enjoy yourself that night. Once again though, like with hobbies above, don't be going out ALL the time, but every so often, there is nothing wrong with it.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Hi everyone :)
Hope this blog is being of some help to you :) If you have any questions feel free to ask. If you want any answers/notes/information on a particular topic let me know and i will try my best to get it for you :)
Follow me on twitter for updates on the blog etc https://twitter.com/SophalinaSmiles
I am doing this blog to help you with the leaving cert, however, i would recommend with the sample answers, take information from them or use the layout, ideas etc, although using them word for word for your homework might not be the best idea as i have noticed a few people from my secondary school are following this on twitter and it wouldn't be great if a teacher recognized on of my essays, as it was only last year i left.
Any feedback you have on the blog, recommendations, requests, comments etc etc are all welcome.
Hope to get a bit more up over the next week or two :)
Follow me on twitter for updates on the blog etc https://twitter.com/SophalinaSmiles
I am doing this blog to help you with the leaving cert, however, i would recommend with the sample answers, take information from them or use the layout, ideas etc, although using them word for word for your homework might not be the best idea as i have noticed a few people from my secondary school are following this on twitter and it wouldn't be great if a teacher recognized on of my essays, as it was only last year i left.
Any feedback you have on the blog, recommendations, requests, comments etc etc are all welcome.
Hope to get a bit more up over the next week or two :)
History - 1916 Rising essay
What were the circumstances which led to the 1916 Rising?
In 1912, Asquith was the liberal Prime Minister of Britain He introduced the third Home Rule Bill. This would give limited self government to Ireland. They would still be part of the empire and have to send 40 MP's to Westminster, but it recognized Ireland was different from Britain, as they would have their own parliament and because of this the nationalists were willing to accept it. John Redmond was the leader of the Home Rule party, with John Dillon as his deputy. The bill had been blocked by the Tories in the House of Lords, but the Parliament Act of 1911 stated they could only block it for two years, so Ireland was set to get home rule in 1914.
Unionists saw it as a threat to their religion, identity, and prosperity. They felt vulnerable because they were a minority, but they mainly lived in the North East so they were easy to organise. They also had great leaders in Carson and Craig. The Tories feared it as the start of the break-up of the empire. Andrew Bonar Law said he would support the Unionists even if they broke the law in opposition to Home Rule. This was treason. On 28th September 1912, over half a million unionists signed the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant. They were prepared to use violence against Home Rule. In January 1913, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) were formed. This was Europe's first private army. This idea was later copied by Mussolini and Hitler. This was a turning point as there was now a militant tone in Ireland. This inspired southerners to form their own volunteer force. This pleased the IRB. On 25th November 1913, the Irish Volunteer Force (IVF) were established in the Rotunda in Dublin. Sam McNeill, founder of the Gaelic League, was their leader. 3,000 joined on the first night, including De Valera and Pearse. The IRB infiltrated it. This was the perfect front for them. The IVF's motto was "Defense not defiance". Politics and democracy were failing to give Ireland home rule and there was now two private armies facing each other.
Redmond desperately wanted to avoid a civil war. He was prepared to consed the four counties, Derry, Antrim, Armagh and Down, which were mainly unionists. He thought it would only be temporary. He conceded the principle of partition. He should have held hi ground. He was trying too hard to avoid violence. Carson wanted Tyrone and Fermanagh as well. They were both split between unionists and nationalists. It now looked likely that if Ireland got home rule it would not be for the whole island. In March 1914, 58 officers in the British army, led by General Hubert Gough, indicated they would resign if asked to impose home rule on Ulster. This was undemocratic and it weakened Asquith as he could no longer trust the army to impose home rule in Ulster.
In April 1914, 25,000 weapons and 5 million rounds of ammunition were brought into Larne on the Clyde ship from Germany. This was known as Operation Lion. The RIC ignored this. On 26th July1914, 1,500 rifles and 45,000 rounds of ammunition arrived in Howth on the Asgard, also coming from Germany. The British army stopped them and three people were killed in the "Bachelors Walk Massacre". This showed the double standards for the unionist and nationalists. The gun was now back in Irish Politics. In Buckingham Palace a conference was held on July 20-24th 1914. This was a last effort to sort out the problem with Redmond and Carson. They both wanted Fermanagh and Tyrone but failed to reach an agreement. There were liberalists, Asquith and Lloyd George, Tories, Bonar Law and Lord Landsdowne, Unionists, Carson and Craig, and Nationalists, Redmond and Dillon, present at the conference. Politics had failed and they now faced civil war.
On August 4th, 1914, Britain joined WW1, which overtook events in Ireland. It helped to calm civil war fears. The UVF joined the British army and had their own division, the 36th Ulster Division. Home Rule had been due to come in on 18th September 1914, but it was suspended until after the war. On 20th September, Redmond made a speech at Woodenbridge, County Wicklow, urging the Irish Volunteers to join the British army. He believed the war would be over by Christmas. he used the fact that Germany had invaded Belgium, a small, neutral, catholic country, just like Ireland, to gain support. There was a split in the IVF. The 170,000 national volunteers, led by Redmond, joined the British, while the 11,000 IVF, led by Eoin McNeill, stayed at home. he IRB infiltrated the IVF. It was easier to take over and control a smaller group of 11,000. The longer the war went on the more support Redmond lost and McNeill gained. There was a lot of opposition to the war in Ireland. Aurthur Griffith and Sinn Féin, James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army, and McNeill and the Volunteers, all campaigned against joining the British army. This helped push events towards 1916.
In 1915a national government was formed in London. Redmond was invited to join but refused, so it was made up of liberalists, unionists, Tories and the Labour Party. Bonar Law was a minister and Carson Attorney General. Unionists now had a voice at Westminster. Home Rule became more distant as it now had no support in Westminster. If they wanted home rule now, they would have to fight for it. This was great for the IRB. In June 1915, Britain suffered a disastrous defeat at Galipollo. England's difficultly was Ireland's opportunity. Casement went to Germany looking for guns and Irish prisoners of war. He only got 20,000 rifles. Ireland was still part of the British empire yet they had a possible ally with Germany, who were fighting against Britain in WW1 at the same time.
The IRB had no public leaders, now Pearse becomes the public pace. He was very interested in the Irish language as he believed that was what made the Irish different from Britain. He had originally supported home rule but felt it slipping away so he became a republican. He wanted full separation from Britain. He believed in blood sacrifice, that even if the rising failed, it would still be a success as it would encourage future generations to rise up. He compared it to Jesus dying on the cross and rising again. "Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations".
Within the IRB, a military council of Thomas Clarke, Seán MacDiarmada, Thomas Mac Donagh, Pearse, Ceannt, Connolly and Plunkett was set up to plan the rising. They had discovered James Connolly and the ICA were planning a socialist rising so they got him in with them instead. Connolly had valuable military experience, unlike the other leaders. In order to have the rising they needed weapons and men. They wanted McNeill and the Volunteers on board. They forged the "Castle Document" and it was printed in the Sunday paper. It said British authorities were going to arrest Pearse and the Volunteers. McNeill urged them to resit arrest. Pearse then informed him on the Thursday that a rising was planned. Guns were to arrive from Germany on the "Aud" into Tralee bay, but it was spotted by the British Navy. Rather than let the British take the 20,000 guns, they deliberatly sank the ship. Casement came back and was arrested. The British now believed they had gotten the man in charge. Casement had actually been coming back to stop the rising. McNeill now wanted to cancel the rising as they did not have enough men or weapons, and he discovered the document had been forged.
It was published in the Sunday Independent on the morning the rising had been planned for saying that all maneuvers were cancelled. This caused a lot of confusion. The seven main men met in Liberty Hall on Sunday Night and decided to go ahead with only 1,500 IRB men, 200 ICA men and 1,500 guns from Howth. This was Pearse's idea of Blood Sacrifice.
In April 1914, 25,000 weapons and 5 million rounds of ammunition were brought into Larne on the Clyde ship from Germany. This was known as Operation Lion. The RIC ignored this. On 26th July1914, 1,500 rifles and 45,000 rounds of ammunition arrived in Howth on the Asgard, also coming from Germany. The British army stopped them and three people were killed in the "Bachelors Walk Massacre". This showed the double standards for the unionist and nationalists. The gun was now back in Irish Politics. In Buckingham Palace a conference was held on July 20-24th 1914. This was a last effort to sort out the problem with Redmond and Carson. They both wanted Fermanagh and Tyrone but failed to reach an agreement. There were liberalists, Asquith and Lloyd George, Tories, Bonar Law and Lord Landsdowne, Unionists, Carson and Craig, and Nationalists, Redmond and Dillon, present at the conference. Politics had failed and they now faced civil war.
On August 4th, 1914, Britain joined WW1, which overtook events in Ireland. It helped to calm civil war fears. The UVF joined the British army and had their own division, the 36th Ulster Division. Home Rule had been due to come in on 18th September 1914, but it was suspended until after the war. On 20th September, Redmond made a speech at Woodenbridge, County Wicklow, urging the Irish Volunteers to join the British army. He believed the war would be over by Christmas. he used the fact that Germany had invaded Belgium, a small, neutral, catholic country, just like Ireland, to gain support. There was a split in the IVF. The 170,000 national volunteers, led by Redmond, joined the British, while the 11,000 IVF, led by Eoin McNeill, stayed at home. he IRB infiltrated the IVF. It was easier to take over and control a smaller group of 11,000. The longer the war went on the more support Redmond lost and McNeill gained. There was a lot of opposition to the war in Ireland. Aurthur Griffith and Sinn Féin, James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army, and McNeill and the Volunteers, all campaigned against joining the British army. This helped push events towards 1916.
In 1915a national government was formed in London. Redmond was invited to join but refused, so it was made up of liberalists, unionists, Tories and the Labour Party. Bonar Law was a minister and Carson Attorney General. Unionists now had a voice at Westminster. Home Rule became more distant as it now had no support in Westminster. If they wanted home rule now, they would have to fight for it. This was great for the IRB. In June 1915, Britain suffered a disastrous defeat at Galipollo. England's difficultly was Ireland's opportunity. Casement went to Germany looking for guns and Irish prisoners of war. He only got 20,000 rifles. Ireland was still part of the British empire yet they had a possible ally with Germany, who were fighting against Britain in WW1 at the same time.
The IRB had no public leaders, now Pearse becomes the public pace. He was very interested in the Irish language as he believed that was what made the Irish different from Britain. He had originally supported home rule but felt it slipping away so he became a republican. He wanted full separation from Britain. He believed in blood sacrifice, that even if the rising failed, it would still be a success as it would encourage future generations to rise up. He compared it to Jesus dying on the cross and rising again. "Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations".
Within the IRB, a military council of Thomas Clarke, Seán MacDiarmada, Thomas Mac Donagh, Pearse, Ceannt, Connolly and Plunkett was set up to plan the rising. They had discovered James Connolly and the ICA were planning a socialist rising so they got him in with them instead. Connolly had valuable military experience, unlike the other leaders. In order to have the rising they needed weapons and men. They wanted McNeill and the Volunteers on board. They forged the "Castle Document" and it was printed in the Sunday paper. It said British authorities were going to arrest Pearse and the Volunteers. McNeill urged them to resit arrest. Pearse then informed him on the Thursday that a rising was planned. Guns were to arrive from Germany on the "Aud" into Tralee bay, but it was spotted by the British Navy. Rather than let the British take the 20,000 guns, they deliberatly sank the ship. Casement came back and was arrested. The British now believed they had gotten the man in charge. Casement had actually been coming back to stop the rising. McNeill now wanted to cancel the rising as they did not have enough men or weapons, and he discovered the document had been forged.
It was published in the Sunday Independent on the morning the rising had been planned for saying that all maneuvers were cancelled. This caused a lot of confusion. The seven main men met in Liberty Hall on Sunday Night and decided to go ahead with only 1,500 IRB men, 200 ICA men and 1,500 guns from Howth. This was Pearse's idea of Blood Sacrifice.
Irregular Irish Verbs
Sorry, i have been ridiculously slow at getting this up, been so busy, then my scanner broke. But finally, they are here! Yay!
There are 11 iregualr irish verbs. They are
Bí
Feic
Ith
Teigh
Faigh
Clois
Tar
Tabhair
Abair
Beir
Déan
I have all of these verbs written out in the aimsir chaite, aimsir láithreach, aimsir fháistineach, modh coiníollach and the gnáth chaite.
Hope they are a help.
It can be difficult and will take time but i recommed learning these off.
The same thing with the endings for the regular ones in my last post, LEARN THEM LEARN THEM LEARN THEM!!! Trust me it will make irish so much easier as you will be able say any very in any tense, it will help massively with essays, oral, sraith pictúir, Everything, you always use verbs! Okay so the Gnáthchaite, it is on the course, although i never did it in class and rarely used it. Occasionally you will see it in comprehensions and things so it is a help if you know it although if you are sturggling i would say leave it out, although i still recommend knowing what it is, even if you cant write out verbs in it, just know it is the continuous past, it is like for the very bí, the present tense is Tá but bíonn is the continous present, meaning i always or every day etc, so the past tense of say play is i played, the continous past would be like i used to play every day or something like that.
There are 11 iregualr irish verbs. They are
Bí
Feic
Ith
Teigh
Faigh
Clois
Tar
Tabhair
Abair
Beir
Déan
I have all of these verbs written out in the aimsir chaite, aimsir láithreach, aimsir fháistineach, modh coiníollach and the gnáth chaite.
Hope they are a help.
It can be difficult and will take time but i recommed learning these off.
The same thing with the endings for the regular ones in my last post, LEARN THEM LEARN THEM LEARN THEM!!! Trust me it will make irish so much easier as you will be able say any very in any tense, it will help massively with essays, oral, sraith pictúir, Everything, you always use verbs! Okay so the Gnáthchaite, it is on the course, although i never did it in class and rarely used it. Occasionally you will see it in comprehensions and things so it is a help if you know it although if you are sturggling i would say leave it out, although i still recommend knowing what it is, even if you cant write out verbs in it, just know it is the continuous past, it is like for the very bí, the present tense is Tá but bíonn is the continous present, meaning i always or every day etc, so the past tense of say play is i played, the continous past would be like i used to play every day or something like that.
Friday, 18 January 2013
History Essay - Civil Rights America 1945 - 1968
How Successful was the Civil Rights Agitation in the United States during the period 1945 - 1968
Before 1945, black Americans were treated as second class citizens and they just accepted it. Slavery had been abolished in 1863 by President Lincoln. There was segregation in public places, mainly in southern states. Jim Crow laws were the segregation laws. In 1896 the Supreme Course ruled the separate but equal was legal and fair. This meant the segregation in public places was legal as long as the facilities were equal, although usually they were not. Also, most blacks could not vote. They had to pass a literacy test and since they had poor education most of them could not. They also had to pay a poll tax which a lot of them could not afford because of unemployment and poverty. The NAACP had been set up in 1909. It tried to use the courts to change the Jim Crow Laws.
After 1945 things began to change. There were many reasons for this. Black soldiers had been fighting in the American army in Europe to get freedom and democracy in Europe, even thought they were treated as second class citizens in America. They came home with a voice, wanting their democratic rights. Most blacks lived in cities and ghettos which made it easier to organise groups. Liberalism was rising after WW2 as it was the opposite to fascism. Segregation also damaged the image of America in the Cold War.
Desegregation began with Truman. In 1948he issued an executive order to desegregate the army. This was strengthened in Korea and even more in Vietnam. The desegregation of the army was completed under Eisenhower. He appointed Earl Warren, a liberalist, to the Supreme Court. He supported the blacks. One of the most important decisions he made was the Brown Vs Board of Education case, Kansas 1954. It desegregated public schools. There was opposition to this ruling. It led to the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group. In Little Rock, Arkansas, 9 black students were prevented from entering the school in 1957. The governor sent the state police. Eisenhower had to send down 1000 federal troops to enforce the issue and protect the students. In 1962, James Meredith, an air-force pilot, was stopped from entering the white University of Mississippi. Kennedy had to send 300 federal Marshals. By 1964 only 2% of black students actually attended integrated schools in the southern states. This damaged the image of the south. It highlighted discrimination with northern liberalists and public opinion began to change.
On Thursday, 1st December 1955, In Montegomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks, a respected middle-aged black woman, got on a bus and sat in the black section, as was required by all blacks. A white man got on the bus. She refused to stand up to allow the white man to sit in her seat. The driver told her to get up and he had her arrested. She was treated like a criminal. She was released on bail for a fee of $100, which was paid for by Edgar Nixion, who was the leader of the Montegomery NAACP. She had to appear in court on Monday 5th December. She was found guilty and fined $14. The NAACP used her case as a test court case to end discrimination on buses. Jo-Ann Robinson organised a black boycott of buses on that day. The black ministers told them on Sunday in church not to use the buses. 95% of blacks refused and walked instead. They decided to continue the boycott. They asked Martin Luther King, a black minister, to lead it. He believed in peaceful, non-violent protests. They wanted to get courtious, mixed drivers and the buses to be filled from top to bottom on a first come first served basis. The boycott was risky as it would only be effective if everyone participated so they needed a strong leader, which they got with Martin Luther King. King was arrested for speeding. The KKK were active again. The media came down and reported it. It portrayed the black people as peaceful, non-violent and dignified. This changed public opinion. On the 13th November 1956, the supreme court declared that segregation on buses was illegal. It was passed on 20th December. The boycott had lasted 381 days. This politicised black people. They realised they could change things. It was activism, they had walked in protest against the buses instead of waiting for the NAACP to get laws tested, although it was the courts that ended segregation on buses, not the actual boycott.
In 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, four black students sat down at a white lunch counter. They were not served. After 8 hours they were replaced by other black students. 54 southern cities got involved in this sit-in. The media covered it. Eventually the blacks won and lunch counters became desegregated. It was also significant as it was students who had started it. This was an election year. Kennedy and Nixon were running. JFK supported this protest. This got him support from blacks who could vote and also with liberalists. This helped him get elected. Blacks expected to get more support when he became president. He had raised their expectations.
In 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King led a protest march. He was arrested for. He then got school children to march. Police, led by Bull O'Connor, set dogs on the children and also used water cannons on them. The media got this on tv. It was seen all over the country. It outraged the liberalists and damaged US image abroad. It forced Kennedy to react. He went on television in June 1963 saying they now had to grant full civil rights to blacks. He issued a civil rights bill. This won him liberal support but he lost the support of southern whites. He feared it would prevent him from being re-elected but he knew it had to be done. Kennedy, as well as the blacks, and King, feared the bill would not pass through Congress. In August, King organised a huge march. One quarter of a million people gathered in Washington DC to put pressure on Congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill. They gathered beside the Lincoln memorial, exactly 100 years after Lincoln had freed the slaves. Here King made the famous, "I have a dream..." speech. Public opinion was behind him. In November Kennedy was killed. Lyndon Johnson succeeded him. He got the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. It outlawed discrimination in public places. He set up the Employment Opportunities Commission to ensure blacks were not discriminated against in jobs. King was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. "Separate but Equal" had now ended.
Blacks had now all the same rights as whites, except where voting was concerned. In March 1965 there was a march from Selma to Montgomery to highlight this issue. Selma is a county in Alabama. Half of its population was black, yet only 1% of blacks could vote. Martin Luther King joined the march. 3,000 started off, 25,000 reached Montgomery, as people who supported them joined along the way. White police attacked the march so Johnson sent the National Guards to protect them. In the end Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act. It was passed in 1965. Black people could now register to vote and literacy tests were banned. They could now vote on the same terms as whites. The federal government ensured that each state allowed the black people to vote. This was a huge step forward for blacks. It also improved America's democratic image abroad as now everyone had full civil rights. Martin Luther Kind was killed in 1968.
Between 1945 and 1968, civil rights changed dramatically for black people in America. Before this they were treated as second class citizens. During this time they stood up for their rights, first educations, then transport, lunch counters, then they got full civil rights and finally voting. They were very successful and after 1968 had the same rights and were treated the same as the whites.
I got an A2 for this essay, I hope it is a help :)
After 1945 things began to change. There were many reasons for this. Black soldiers had been fighting in the American army in Europe to get freedom and democracy in Europe, even thought they were treated as second class citizens in America. They came home with a voice, wanting their democratic rights. Most blacks lived in cities and ghettos which made it easier to organise groups. Liberalism was rising after WW2 as it was the opposite to fascism. Segregation also damaged the image of America in the Cold War.
Desegregation began with Truman. In 1948he issued an executive order to desegregate the army. This was strengthened in Korea and even more in Vietnam. The desegregation of the army was completed under Eisenhower. He appointed Earl Warren, a liberalist, to the Supreme Court. He supported the blacks. One of the most important decisions he made was the Brown Vs Board of Education case, Kansas 1954. It desegregated public schools. There was opposition to this ruling. It led to the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group. In Little Rock, Arkansas, 9 black students were prevented from entering the school in 1957. The governor sent the state police. Eisenhower had to send down 1000 federal troops to enforce the issue and protect the students. In 1962, James Meredith, an air-force pilot, was stopped from entering the white University of Mississippi. Kennedy had to send 300 federal Marshals. By 1964 only 2% of black students actually attended integrated schools in the southern states. This damaged the image of the south. It highlighted discrimination with northern liberalists and public opinion began to change.
On Thursday, 1st December 1955, In Montegomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks, a respected middle-aged black woman, got on a bus and sat in the black section, as was required by all blacks. A white man got on the bus. She refused to stand up to allow the white man to sit in her seat. The driver told her to get up and he had her arrested. She was treated like a criminal. She was released on bail for a fee of $100, which was paid for by Edgar Nixion, who was the leader of the Montegomery NAACP. She had to appear in court on Monday 5th December. She was found guilty and fined $14. The NAACP used her case as a test court case to end discrimination on buses. Jo-Ann Robinson organised a black boycott of buses on that day. The black ministers told them on Sunday in church not to use the buses. 95% of blacks refused and walked instead. They decided to continue the boycott. They asked Martin Luther King, a black minister, to lead it. He believed in peaceful, non-violent protests. They wanted to get courtious, mixed drivers and the buses to be filled from top to bottom on a first come first served basis. The boycott was risky as it would only be effective if everyone participated so they needed a strong leader, which they got with Martin Luther King. King was arrested for speeding. The KKK were active again. The media came down and reported it. It portrayed the black people as peaceful, non-violent and dignified. This changed public opinion. On the 13th November 1956, the supreme court declared that segregation on buses was illegal. It was passed on 20th December. The boycott had lasted 381 days. This politicised black people. They realised they could change things. It was activism, they had walked in protest against the buses instead of waiting for the NAACP to get laws tested, although it was the courts that ended segregation on buses, not the actual boycott.
In 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, four black students sat down at a white lunch counter. They were not served. After 8 hours they were replaced by other black students. 54 southern cities got involved in this sit-in. The media covered it. Eventually the blacks won and lunch counters became desegregated. It was also significant as it was students who had started it. This was an election year. Kennedy and Nixon were running. JFK supported this protest. This got him support from blacks who could vote and also with liberalists. This helped him get elected. Blacks expected to get more support when he became president. He had raised their expectations.
In 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King led a protest march. He was arrested for. He then got school children to march. Police, led by Bull O'Connor, set dogs on the children and also used water cannons on them. The media got this on tv. It was seen all over the country. It outraged the liberalists and damaged US image abroad. It forced Kennedy to react. He went on television in June 1963 saying they now had to grant full civil rights to blacks. He issued a civil rights bill. This won him liberal support but he lost the support of southern whites. He feared it would prevent him from being re-elected but he knew it had to be done. Kennedy, as well as the blacks, and King, feared the bill would not pass through Congress. In August, King organised a huge march. One quarter of a million people gathered in Washington DC to put pressure on Congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill. They gathered beside the Lincoln memorial, exactly 100 years after Lincoln had freed the slaves. Here King made the famous, "I have a dream..." speech. Public opinion was behind him. In November Kennedy was killed. Lyndon Johnson succeeded him. He got the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. It outlawed discrimination in public places. He set up the Employment Opportunities Commission to ensure blacks were not discriminated against in jobs. King was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. "Separate but Equal" had now ended.
Blacks had now all the same rights as whites, except where voting was concerned. In March 1965 there was a march from Selma to Montgomery to highlight this issue. Selma is a county in Alabama. Half of its population was black, yet only 1% of blacks could vote. Martin Luther King joined the march. 3,000 started off, 25,000 reached Montgomery, as people who supported them joined along the way. White police attacked the march so Johnson sent the National Guards to protect them. In the end Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act. It was passed in 1965. Black people could now register to vote and literacy tests were banned. They could now vote on the same terms as whites. The federal government ensured that each state allowed the black people to vote. This was a huge step forward for blacks. It also improved America's democratic image abroad as now everyone had full civil rights. Martin Luther Kind was killed in 1968.
Between 1945 and 1968, civil rights changed dramatically for black people in America. Before this they were treated as second class citizens. During this time they stood up for their rights, first educations, then transport, lunch counters, then they got full civil rights and finally voting. They were very successful and after 1968 had the same rights and were treated the same as the whites.
I got an A2 for this essay, I hope it is a help :)
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