The civil rights movement highlighted the fact that the USA remained bitterly racially divided almost a century after the Civil War had ended. The 13th Amendment had failed to secure equal rights for African Americans. Civil rights activists aimed to put pressure on the federal government to enforce legislation in the South to bring about reform there. They also wanted to help African Americans across the country secure better outcomes in employment and education.
Measuring the success of the movement has always been hard. A key debate among historians revolves around whether the success that was achieved was a result of federal government actions or pressure from the mass protests occurring at the time. This article looks at sources that could support differing interpretations to see what we can conclude.
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