The American Civil Rights Movement

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The American Civil Rights Movement In the United States of America, one of the bloodiest and most brutally destructive wars was fought right here on our own soil. I refer to the Civil War fought between 1861 to 1865. One of the major contributing factors that ignited the separation of the states and brought about the fighting was the issue of slavery. Many states opposed the tradition of slavery and declared that no new states should have the right to operate with slaves. The southern states, who relied heavily on slavery for their labor, refused and conceded from the union to form the Confederacy. Over 600,000 Americans gave their lives in those four years of fierce and hallowed battles. At the end of the war, much of our nation stood…show more content…
Martin Luther King. His infamous words “I have a dream” are known by millions of people all around the world. Without a doubt, he was one of the largest figureheads of the entire movement. He championed the use of Civil Disobedience by reminding his followers that they were Christian people and violence was not their way. He encouraged peaceful demonstrations, sit-ins, and marches. He was an extremely effective speaker and captivated the audiences he spoke to, regardless of their color. He was the key speaker during a march on the capital with over 200,000 people where he gave his . “I have a dream” speech. His courage and conviction to see the world united at peace is still celebrated and cherished. His popularity unfortunately made him a target for assassination and he was killed in 1968. The civil rights movement and the country lost an amazing leader that…show more content…
As more and more steps were taken and words grew upon themselves into actions, the movement picked up momentum. In the early 1960’s it had gained so much support and such a national spotlight that everything seemed to be in reach and it was in a way. Significant laws were made to better protect the civil liberties owed to every American. Never before had the African Americans come together to stand as a united front against bigotry, racism, and unfair moral status quos. They helped to re-shape America and were responsible for giving it a better image world wide. But, with notable leaders like Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King being killed for their service, it was hard not to become disheartened. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and their was no immediate change, people grew frustrated. When efforts were met with increased resistance and violence and less and less national attention, people grew tired. After 1968, the era marking the American Civil Rights movement was over. Like the people involved in the riots, eventually, their rage and energy that was spent feeding the flames of the riots died out. The same can be said for the Civil Rights
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