Analyze the efficacy of the civil rights movement’s nonviolent protests. What conditions had to be present for them to work effectively? How much did they depend onprovokingviolence even as they eschewed violent action?
Explain the triumph of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. How did it succeed? Which was more crucial, the tenacity of local groups or the contribution of national organizations? Did it provide a feasible and reliable blueprint for future nonviolent actions, or was it unique in its scope and the extent of its success?
Discuss the civil rights movement as a national movement. To what degree did the movement’s successes depend on nationwide networks of activists, federal intervention, and a national press overcoming local authorities and regional variations? Can the movement be said to have fundamentally reshaped the meaning of the American nation and American nationality?
