Consequences of Assassination of MLK
History: KS3, topic 21.1.18
Consequences of the Assassination of Martin Luther King
On 4th April 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. This was extremely detrimental to the Civil Rights Movement.
Consequences
- His assassination led to riots in 172 cities.
- 2 black people died.
- 27,000 were arrested.
- There was $45 million cost in damage.
- This lost the civil rights movement some white support.
The Poor People’s Campaign
- The Poor People’s Campaign failed because of arguments within the SCLC leadership and the poor weather meaning people weren’t willing to camp out outside the Capitol in Washington.
The 1968 Civil Rights Act
- The 1968 Civil Rights Act was passed quickly, making housing practices fairer and protecting civil rights activists, but also increasing the punishment for rioting.
- Many white people saw the job as done, so became less supportive.
Loss of white support
- Without King, many white people felt they had nobody in the civil rights movement to relate to, and began to oppose the more radical demands for equality.
The SNCC
- The SNCC changed their name from ‘non-violent’ to ‘national’ so lost a lot of support from their original members.
Test yourself on Consequences of Assassination of MLK
How many cities rioted following the assassination of Martin Luther King?
Why did the Poor People’s Campaign fail?