Lesson Y9-U01-L03

Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 14

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y9-U01-L03, Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 14: Year 9: Civil Rights, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In which city and year did Rosa Parks refuse to give up her bus seat?

    • Birmingham, 1963
    • Memphis, 1968
    • Montgomery, 1955
    • Atlanta, 1955

  2. What was Rosa Parks's professional occupation at the time of her arrest?

    • Nurse
    • Schoolteacher
    • Journalist
    • Seamstress

  3. Why did activists build their boycott campaign around Rosa Parks instead of Claudette Colvin?

    • Parks was respectable
    • Colvin refused to move
    • Parks was a politician
    • Colvin was a wealthy adult

  4. What did bus driver James Blake order Rosa Parks and others to do on 1 December 1955?

    • Surrender their seats
    • Stand outside in rain
    • Leave the bus entirely
    • Pay a double fare

  5. What did activists print overnight to mobilise support after Rosa Parks was arrested?

    • Newspapers
    • Leaflets
    • Postcards
    • Membership cards

  6. When was the first one-day bus boycott held in Montgomery?

    • Monday 20 December 1956
    • Monday 5 December 1955
    • Thursday 1 December 1955
    • Thursday 2 March 1955

  7. What was the name of the organisation formed to run the Montgomery bus boycott?

    • MIA
    • SCLC
    • CORE
    • SNCC

  8. How old was Martin Luther King Jr when he was chosen to lead the MIA?

    • 42
    • 15
    • 26
    • 35

  9. Approximately what percentage of Montgomery bus passengers were Black before the boycott?

    • 90%
    • 25%
    • 75%
    • 50%

  10. How did most Black residents travel to work during the Montgomery bus boycott?

    • Using free city trams
    • Walking and car pools
    • Riding segregated buses
    • Driving personal cars

  11. How did Martin Luther King Jr react when his home was bombed during the boycott?

    • Fled the city
    • Urged non-violence
    • Called for riots
    • Bought weapons

  12. On what date did the US Supreme Court rule that bus segregation was unconstitutional?

    • 5 December 1955
    • 1 December 1955
    • 13 November 1956
    • 20 December 1956

  13. Which court case successfully challenged bus segregation in Alabama?

    • Brown v. Board
    • Miranda v. Arizona
    • Browder v. Gayle
    • Plessy v. Ferguson

  14. When did the boycott end, once the court order reached Montgomery?

    • 21 December 1955
    • 13 November 1956
    • 20 December 1956
    • 1 December 1955

  15. According to Rosa Parks's autobiography, why did she refuse to move?

    • Tired of giving in
    • Physically exhausted
    • Failing eyesight
    • Missing her stop

  16. What do city official comments in source material typically reveal about white authorities during the boycott?

    • Admitting fault
    • Supporting equality
    • Praising activists
    • Blaming outsiders

  17. What does Jo Ann Robinson's memoir show about the timing of the Montgomery bus boycott?

    • Started by students
    • Completely spontaneous
    • Organised by police
    • Planned beforehand

  18. Why was non-violent protest crucial for winning public sympathy during the boycott?

    • Saved travel money
    • Pleased bus drivers
    • Ended the laws faster
    • Denied excuse for force

  19. What was the direct legal cause of ending bus segregation in Montgomery?

    • Bus company policy
    • Supreme Court ruling
    • Police agreement
    • Mayoral decree

  20. For how many days did the Montgomery bus boycott last?

    • 1,000 days
    • 381 days
    • 75 days
    • 42 days

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