THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT: A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL THINKING IN EDUCATION A Project Presented to the faculty of the Department of History California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History by Monica Rae French SPRING 2012 THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT: A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL THINKING IN EDUCATION A Project by Monica Rae French Approved by: __________________________________, Committee Chair Chloe Burke __________________________________, Second Reader Donald Azevada ____________________________ Date ii Student: Monica Rae French I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the project. __________________________, Graduate Coordinator ___________________ Mona Siegel Date Department of History iii Abstract of THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT: A MODEL FOR HISTORICAL THINKING IN EDUCATION by Monica Rae French Statement of Problem The Women’s Political Council fought bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, prior to the 1955 bus boycott but these women are often neglected in teaching about the civil rights movement. Women such as Jo Ann Robinson, who led the Women’s Political Council in Montgomery in the 1950s, as well as the women involved in Browder v. Gayle, that ultimately declared bus segregation to be unconstitutional, are important to understanding the bus boycott in its complexity. These women were tireless innovators who blazed the trail for the boycott to be successful. Their often forgotten achievements are important in understanding the role of women in the boycott and the boycott itself. Highlighting the complex and underlying causes of the boycott and women’s role in the boycott teaches students that the boycott did not “just happen.” It was the result of gendered, racial and economic tensions gradually brought to light by people willing to bravely challenge the status quo. Emphasizing primary source investigation, this project proposes 11th grade history curriculum on the bus boycott and the Women’s Political iv Council that serves as a model for incorporating historical thinking in history educators’ classrooms. Sources of Data Primary source material used in this project to demonstrate the origins and strategies of the WPC, include memoirs and oral histories of women “trailblazers” such as Jo Ann Robinson, Mary Fair Burks and Rosa Parks; voting records, bus passenger population, and voting and census records; legal documents such as laws specific to bus segregation and the Browder v. Gayle Supreme Court. Finally, history pedagogy references include educational studies produced by Sam Wineburg. Conclusions Reached The Women’s Political Council was the catalyst for the Montgomery bus boycott. The black female professors and professionals in Montgomery were the original trailblazers of the civil rights movement. The Montgomery bus boycott and the WPC provide an excellent model for teaching a complex civil rights event, encouraging critical thinking, and historical thinking skills _______________________, Committee Chair Chloe Burke _______________________ Date v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Once again, to Nolan. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION: TEACHING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS …MOVEMENT ................................................................................................................. 1 Teaching the Civil Rights Movement ............................................................................. 4 Teaching the Montgomery Bus Boycott ......................................................................... 7 2. RECOGNIZING THE WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS …MOVEMENT ............................................................................................................... 12 3. PREPARING FOR THE REVOLUTION: WPC’S CAMPAIGN AGAINST BUS …SEGREGATION IN MONTGOMERY ....................................................................... 26 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 26 Women’s Political Council ........................................................................................... 29 Fighting Montgomery’s Segregated Bus System ......................................................... 34 The Search for a Model Case ........................................................................................ 42 The Boycott Begins....................................................................................................... 48 The Browder Case......................................................................................................... 53 4. TEACHING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ...................................................... 59 Historical Thinking ....................................................................................................... 59 vii Teaching with Historical Documents and Images ........................................................ 60 Web-Based Historical Research ................................................................................... 67 Performance Assessments ............................................................................................. 70 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 73 Appendix A. Teaching Application .................................................................................. 75 Forward ......................................................................................................................... 75 Model Lesson Plans ...................................................................................................... 77 Web Quest ................................................................................................................. 77 Activities/Lessons for Images ................................................................................... 79 Document Strategies/Activities ................................................................................ 81 Montgomery Bus Boycott PowerPoint Presentation ................................................ 83 Document Based Question ........................................................................................ 86 DBQ Teachers Guide ................................................................................................ 91 DBQ Student Support ............................................................................................... 93 Museum Project ........................................................................................................ 95 Montgomery Bus Boycott: Background Essay ....................................................... 100 Historical Reference (People) ................................................................................. 102 Historical Reference (Terms) .................................................................................. 106 Historical Analysis Tools ............................................................................................ 109 Primary and Secondary Sources ............................................................................. 109 viii Three Levels of Questioning ................................................................................... 110 SOAPS .................................................................................................................... 111 Document Analysis Worksheet ............................................................................... 112 Photo Analysis Worksheet ...................................................................................... 113 Cartoon Analysis Worksheet .................................................................................. 114 Artifact Analysis Worksheet ................................................................................... 115 Map Analysis Worksheet ........................................................................................ 116 Historical Primary Sources: Photographs, Documents, Interviews ............................ 117 Document Guiding Questions ................................................................................. 117 Interview Guiding Questions .................................................................................. 117 Images .................................................................................................................... 118 Documents .............................................................................................................. 127 Interviews ................................................................................................................ 147 Claudette Colvin ................................................................................................. 147 Rosa Parks ........................................................................................................... 150 Fred Gray Sr. ....................................................................................................... 154 Jo Ann Robinson ................................................................................................. 156 Additional Montgomery Bus Boycott Web Sources .................................................