Lesson 4

4 The civil rights movement, 1965–75 Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 17

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4, The civil rights movement, 1965–75: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 17: The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which Los Angeles neighbourhood was the scene of a major riot in August 1965?

    • Roxbury, Boston
    • Watts
    • Harlem, New York
    • Hough, Cleveland

  2. What main social issue did the Kerner Report of 1968 investigate?

    • Rural poverty
    • School segregation
    • Urban riots
    • Voter suppression

  3. Which prominent civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis in April 1968?

    • Medgar Evers
    • Stokely Carmichael
    • Malcolm X
    • Martin Luther King

  4. Who was convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr?

    • Lee Harvey Oswald
    • James Earl Ray
    • Byron De La Beckwith
    • Sirhan Sirhan

  5. Which 1968 law outlawed discrimination in housing sales and rentals?

    • Equal Pay Act
    • Civil Rights Act
    • Voting Rights Act
    • Fair Housing Act

  6. In which northern city did King launch a campaign against housing segregation in 1966?

    • Chicago
    • Philadelphia
    • Detroit
    • Boston

  7. Which Nixon-era plan required federal contractors to set minority hiring goals?

    • The Atlanta Pact
    • The Chicago Initiative
    • The Philadelphia Plan
    • The Harlem Project

  8. Which 1971 Supreme Court ruling upheld school busing to achieve integration?

    • Miranda v Arizona
    • Plessy v Ferguson
    • Brown v Board
    • Swann v Charlotte

  9. What specific incident triggered the devastating 1967 Detroit riot?

    • A school closure
    • A police raid
    • A bus boycott
    • A voter ban

  10. What was a primary grievance fueling the urban riots of 1965 to 1967?

    • Tax increases
    • School closures
    • Food shortages
    • Police brutality

  11. What economic and social issues did King's northern civil rights campaign target?

    • Agricultural subsidies
    • Tariff policies
    • Naval recruitment
    • Housing and jobs

  12. According to the Kerner Report, what was a fundamental cause of urban unrest?

    • Lack of churches
    • Industrial decline
    • White racism
    • Foreign agents

  13. Which event accelerated the passing of the 1968 Fair Housing Act?

    • Montgomery bus boycott
    • Selma marches
    • March on Washington
    • King's assassination

  14. What did the Philadelphia Plan use to push employers towards hiring minority workers?

    • Direct subsidies
    • Federal contracts
    • Tax exemptions
    • Military grants

  15. Why did school busing become controversial during the early 1970s?

    • Driver shortages
    • Forced integration
    • Frequent bus breakdowns
    • High transport costs

  16. What major issue did Martin Luther King Jr focus on from 1967 onwards?

    • Voting rights
    • Public transport
    • School desegregation
    • Poverty

  17. What immediate effect did Martin Luther King Jr's assassination have across US cities?

    • Peaceful vigils
    • Widespread riots
    • Voter registration
    • Nationwide strikes

  18. What remained a major problem for African Americans by 1975 despite legal gains?

    • Disfranchisement
    • Legal segregation
    • Poll taxes
    • Economic gaps

  19. What was a key feature of Nixon's domestic civil rights approach?

    • Radical socialism
    • Forced busing
    • Affirmative action
    • Federal integration

  20. What did the Kerner Commission warn the USA was experiencing?

    • Racial division
    • Communist subversion
    • Military defeat
    • Economic collapse

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