What really Happened
On Sunday March 7, 1965, marchers including Martin Luther King, and John Lewis tried again for their freedom. Instead of getting stopped at a bridge, they marched the whole 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery. This time, the president sent 2000 solders to protect the marchers.
Showdown in Selma
On Sunday March 7, 1965, in Selma Alabama, a group of African Americans, decided to march for equal rights for all black people. The group contained 600 people, with John Lewis leading them. They were on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and facing them were 200 solders, who were sent by George Wallace, who was their governor at the time. The march was supposed to go 50 miles, from Selma to the capital, Montgomery. The march was also supposed to be peaceful, although it did not turn out to be. After the marchers refused to turn around on the bridge, the police attacked. Police used clubs, guns and tear gas to block the marchers. Eventually, the marchers turned back, but soon the would try again for their freedom.
Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965
Despite what the article Showdown In Selma said, in this article, the African American party was said to have 300 people, and when random people on the street joined, the 300 turned into 3000, making it a very crowed march. Sadly, under feral court rules, the march was cut back down to 300. When northern white people came down to help with the march, they ended up staying in black homes. Andy Young, one of Marten Luther Kings organizers told the outside agitators, ¨You cant live down here with us without understanding poverty. We could have but you in fancy motels, but we wanted you to see how we live. We wanted to you to see the poverty of our lives.¨ The Northern whites were astonished by how these people were being treat.
similarity's and Differences
We will never really know what happened on March 7, 1965. Some people say there were 600 people in the march, yet some say there were half as much there. What we do know is that the 50 mile march was for black equal rights.
