Voting Rights March A march to give African Americans the right to vote

About Selma March to Montgomery

In the first place, when the 15th amendment came out that allowed African Americans to vote in 1870 white officials, mainly from the south used threats violence and other things to keep the African Americans from voting. So, in 1965 Martin Luther king Jr and other civil rights leaders organized a march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7 1965.

"Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965"

The original reason of the march has been lost in the events of the last few years. The night before the march Andy Young told outside agitators "You can't live with us down here without understanding poverty... We wanted you to live in Negroes' homes and see the poverty of our lives..." On Sunday morning the bloody scene owed more to Cecil B. De Mille than to Saint James of Compostela. On Monday the marchers passed what looked like to be a burned-out barn, but actually was a school for Negroes. A couple of Negro boys were on the street and Young and a couple of others asked if they wanted freedom and they said yes, later that night one of them came to the campsite and asked how they could help and learned how to start a protest. By Wednesday thousands of people joined the 300 and the march on the highway resumed and the city of St.Jude hospital turned into a civil rights Copacabana.

"Showdown in Selma"

On Sunday March 3, 1965 John crossed Edmund Pettus Bridge with 600 people behind him. While the other side consisted 200 police officers and state troopers, they were all standing there because George Wallace had told them not to let the marchers pass. "I was prepared to die on the bridge if necessary." said John Lewis one on the leaders in the peaceful march. They were planing to walk 50 miles from Selma to the capital Montgomery to demand Governor George Wallace to protect their fight to vote. When the marchers refused to turn around the police beat them with clubs and shot tear gas into the crowd, while Lewis suffered a fractured skull. Even though none of the marchers got very far on the march on Sunday, people were outraged when the watch the footage, and thousands of Americans joined the next march. Five days later when the marchers set out for Montgomery, under President Johnson's command they had 200 US Army troops protecting them. They arrived at Montgomery five days later, and Martin Luther king Jr. gave a speech at the capitol steps and less than five months later President Johnson signed the voting rights act. By the end of the year 250,00 African american had registered to vote.

Compare and Contrast

Both articles, "Showdown in Selma" and "Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965" talk about the Pettus Bridge and the march. Also, in the same way, they talk a bit about after Bloody Sunday. As well as, they talk about people watching and filming TV. Although there are things that make these two articles alike there are also quite a few differences. One article mainly supports the people in the march, however the other article supports the cause. Another reason they are different is, in one article is secondary, because the story was passed down by people, books, internet etc, on the other hand "Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965" is primary because the person was there when it happened. "Showdown in Selma" talks about how whites tried to stop blacks from voting after the 15th amendment came in and the "impossible to answer" questions they gave to the blacks, so they wouldn't get a chance to vote. If they got on answer wrong they where disqualified. On the contrary, the other article is mainly about whites that joined will never be the same and talks about whites that change their mind on how they think about blacks. It also has more quotes from Andy Young, which hold a strong meaning.

Credits:

Created with images by skeeze - "martin luther king jr i have a" • archivesfoundation - "Leaders at the Head of the Civil Rights March on Washington"

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