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CivilRightsMovementintheUnitedStatesCivilRightsMovementintheUnitedStates,political,legal,andsocialstrugglebyblackAmericanstogainfullcitizenshiprightsandtoachieveracialequality.Thecivilrightsmovementwasfirstandforemostachallengetosegregation,thesystemoflawsandcustomsseparatingblacksandwhitesthatwhitesusedtocontrolblacksafterslaverywasabolishedinthe1860s.Duringthecivilrightsmovement,individualsandcivilrightsorganizationschallengedsegregationanddiscriminationwithavarietyofactivities,includingprotestmarches,boycotts,andrefusaltoabidebysegregationlaws.ManybelievethatthemovementbeganwiththeMontgomerybusboycottin1955andendedwiththeVotingRightsActof1965,thoughthereisdebateaboutwhenitbeganandwhetherithasendedyet.ThecivilrightsmovementhasalsobeencalledtheBlackFreedomMovement,theNegroRevolution,andtheSecondReconstruction.Segregation“WhitesOnly”WaitingRoomAblackmanisorderedoutofa“whitesonly”waitingroom.SeparatefacilitiesforblacksandwhitesweremaintainedthroughouttheSouthfromtheendofthe19thcenturyuntilthe1960s.SegregationwasanattemptbywhiteSouthernerstoseparatetheracesineverysphereoflifeandtoachievesupremacyoverblacks.SegregationwasoftencalledtheJimCrowsystem,afteraminstrelshowcharacterfromthe1830swhowasanold,crippled,blackslavewhoembodiednegativestereotypesofblacks.SegregationbecamecommoninSouthernstatesfollowingtheendofReconstructionin1877.DuringReconstruction,whichfollowedtheCivilWar(1861-1865),RepublicangovernmentsintheSouthernstateswererunbyblacks,Northerners,andsomesympatheticSoutherners.TheReconstructiongovernmentshadpassedlawsopeningupeconomicandpoliticalopportunitiesforblacks.By1877theDemocraticPartyhadgainedcontrolofgovernmentintheSouthernstates,andtheseSouthernDemocratswantedtoreverseblackadvancesmadeduringReconstruction.Tothatend,theybegantopasslocalandstatelawsthatspecifiedcertainplaces“ForWhitesOnly”andothersfor“Colored.”Blackshadseparateschools,transportation,restaurants,andparks,manyofwhichwerepoorlyfundedandinferiortothoseofwhites.Overthenext75years,JimCrowsignswentuptoseparatetheracesineverypossibleplace.Thesystemofsegregationalsoincludedthedenialofvotingrights,knownasdisfranchisement.Between1890and1910allSouthernstatespassedlawsimposingrequirementsforvotingthatwereusedtopreventblacksfromvoting,inspiteofthe15thAmendmenttotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,whichhadbeendesignedtoprotectblackvotingrights.Theserequirementsincluded:theabilitytoreadandwrite,whichdisqualifiedthemanyblackswhohadnothadaccesstoeducation;propertyownership,somethingfewblackswereabletoacquire;andpayingapolltax,whichwastoogreataburdenonmostSouthernblacks,whowereverypoor.Asafinalinsult,thefewblackswhomadeitoverallthesehurdlescouldnotvoteintheDemocraticprimariesthatchosethecandidatesbecausetheywereopenonlytowhitesinmostSouthernstates.Becauseblackscouldnotvote,theywerevirtuallypowerlesstopreventwhitesfromsegregatingallaspectsofSouthernlife.Theycoulddolittletostopdiscriminationinpublicaccommodations,education,economicopportunities,orhousing.TheabilitytostruggleforequalitywasevenunderminedbytheprevalentJimCrowsigns,whichconstantlyremindedblacksoftheirinferiorstatusinSouthernsociety.Segregationwasanallencompassingsystem.ConditionsforblacksinNorthernstatesweresomewhatbetter,thoughupto1910onlyabout10percentofblackslivedintheNorth,andpriortoWorldWarII(1939-1945),veryfewblackslivedintheWest.BlackswereusuallyfreetovoteintheNorth,butthereweresofewblacksthattheirvoiceswerebarelyheard.SegregatedfacilitieswerenotascommonintheNorth,butblackswereusuallydeniedentrancetothebesthotelsandrestaurants.SchoolsinNewEnglandwereusuallyintegrated,butthoseintheMidwestgenerallywerenot.PerhapsthemostdifficultpartofNorthernlifewastheintenseeconomicdiscriminationagainstblacks.TheyhadtocompetewithlargenumbersofrecentEuropeanimmigrantsforjobopportunitiesandalmostalwayslost.CompanyE,4thU.S.ColoredInfantryBlacksoldiersfoughtinsegregatedall-blackunits,suchasthisone,duringtheAmericanCivilWar(1861-1865).AlmostallblacksoldiersfoughtfortheUnionarmy,andtheyservedinnearly500engagements.Twenty-fourblacksoldiersandsailorswereawardedtheMedalofHonorforbravery,theU.S.military’shighesthonor.SegregationandViolenceKuKluxKlanFormerConfederatesoldiersfoundedtheKuKluxKlan(KKK)aftertheAmericanCivilWar(1861-1865).TheKKKusedviolenceandintimidationtopreventblacksfromvotingandholdingoffice,andtokeepthemsegregated.ThroughouttheSouth,segregationhadthesupportofthelegalsystemandthepolice.Beyondthelaw,however,therewasalwaysthethreatofterroristviolenceagainstblackswhoattemptedtochallengeorevenquestiontheestablishedorder.DuringReconstruction,theKuKluxKlan(KKK),theKnightsoftheWhiteCamellia,andotherterroristorganizationsmurderedthousandsofblacksandsomewhitesinordertopreventthemfromvotingandparticipatinginpubliclife.TheKKKwasfoundedinthewinterof1865to1866byaformerConfederategeneraltostopbothblacksandNorthernersfromcarryingouttheirgovernmentandsocialreforms.TheKlanandotherwhiteterroristgroupsdirectedtheirviolenceagainstblacklandowners,politicians,andcommunityleaders,aswellaswhiteswhosupportedtheRepublican