What was the primary focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s?

Study for the GACE Middle Grades Social Science Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s primarily focused on ending racial segregation and discrimination. This movement was a pivotal chapter in American history, driven by a collective effort to combat systemic racism and ensure equal rights for African Americans. Key events, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the demonstrations in Birmingham, were all aimed at dismantling legal and social barriers that enforced racial inequities. The movement sought to achieve desegregation in public facilities, schools, and housing, as well as to secure equal treatment in employment and other social spheres.

While expanding voting rights was also a significant aspect of the movement, particularly highlighted by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it was part of the broader struggle to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. Promoting women's rights and providing economic equality were important issues connected to the civil rights struggle, but they were not the central focus of the movement as defined in this context. The primary objective was to confront and overcome the entrenched systems of segregation and discrimination that pervaded American society at the time.

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