Long And Short-Term Causes Of The 1963 Birmingham Campaign

Describe the long and short-term causes of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign. Explain the impact of this campaign on the lives of the people.

The 1963 Civil Rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama was caused by many different people, events and activities. These causes varied from long-term to short-term and all had a different impact on the movement and people involved, transforming it into the historical campaign we know today.

The first long-term cause of the campaign in Birmingham, 1963, was the ongoing discrimination and racial prejudice African-Americans had been facing in their daily lives for the past century, despite the promise of equality in 1863 under the Emancipation Proclamation. Initially, African-Americans were introduced to the

It was nicknamed ‘Bombingham’ after the many bombings and attacks on black churches, homes and groups by the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Along with the brutality in Birmingham, Bull Connor, the Public Health and Safety Commissioner, was an extreme segregationist and played a huge part in city laws and rules. With his important role in the city, he had the ability to control an entire race by changing local laws and controlling segregation in Birmingham. In a speech on the topic given to convince people of his segregationist views, he firmly stated his belief that “you’ve got to keep the black and white separate”. After the failure of peaceful protest in Albany, Martin Luther King was careful to select a city in which he could be sure the movement would get a reaction, and he knew that he would get a violent and aggressive response from Bull Connor. This was a major factor causing the Birmingham Campaign, as it was chosen specifically as a city where protesters could be sure to make their

The act ended racial segregation in public places, schools, transport and other facilities nationwide, and outlawed discrimination based on not only race, but gender, religion and nationality amongst other things. Although the act could clearly not eliminate people’s racist and discriminatory beliefs, it did make many acts illegal, so that the violence, cruel backlash and attacks on people based on race or otherwise were punishable by law. This affected African-Americans immensely because it finally gave them true liberty and freedom, over one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation declared it without ever fully executing it in 1963. White Americans were also impacted because their lives had been significantly altered, and many people’s behaviour was proved no longer acceptable in society. Groups like the ‘Ku Klux Klan’ were officially outlawed, as were actions implementing beliefs such as the segregationist views of Bull Connor or the savagery of many white supremacists. Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr., finally reached a true level of success and were praised as ‘heroes’ who would go down in history for their courage and determination for change. Taking everything into account, although racism and