19.1.9

The James Meredith Case

Test yourself

The James Meredith Case 1962

The University of Mississippi had rejected James Meredith in 1961 but was ordered by Supreme Court to admit him in 1962 as the NAACP argued he was rejected because he was black.

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University of Mississippi

  • James Meredith was a black student who applied to study at the University of Mississippi in 1961.
  • The University of Mississippi rejected Meredith's application but was ordered by Supreme Court to admit him in 1962 as the NAACP argued he was rejected because he was black.
  • His rejection was a clear violation of the previous ruling in favour of the desegregation of education as a result of Brown v. Topeka.
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WCC

  • The Governor of Mississippi and University officials ignored the order and physically stopped him from registering.
  • They were members of the white supremacist WCC.
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Mob attack

  • 500 federal officials were sent to protect Meredith while registering.
  • President Kennedy appealed for calm on TV and radio, but a 3,000-man mob attacked the federal officials.
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Causalities

  • 2 civilians died in the clashes.
  • 375 civilians were injured.
  • 28 federal officials were shot by the mob.
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Federal troops

  • Federal troops were sent in to stop the riots and guarded James all year as he continued his studies.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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