Today in History: First March from Selma
Today in History–March 7–the Library of Congress features the first civil rights march from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery, which was led on this day in 1965. Unfortunately, the marchers, which numbered about 600, had scarcely left Selma when they were were brutally assaulted by heavily armed state troopers and deputies. The ugly incident garnered national attention and just two weeks later marchers regrouped and marched under protection of the National Guard. On March 25, 1965, 25,000 gathered at the Montgomery capitol in support of voting rights. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then clicking the links below.
The First March From Selma March 7, 1965 from America’s Library
“I got one of ‘em just as she almost made it back to the church“ cartoon by Herb Block March 9, 1965
The confrontation, Selma, Alabama drawing
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March streaming webcast with transcript
More video oral history interviews related to the Selma march
Video from the Voices of the Civil Rights Movement YouTube Channel
Selma Online digital presentation (teaching guide)
Teaching resources
- Learning from the Source: We Shall Overcome lesson plan
- Selma & Voting Rights: Standing Up for Equality Citizen U integrated Civics and ELA lesson plan
- Teaching Selma: A Civil Rights Struggle Captured in Primary Sources Teaching with the Library of Congress blog February 18, 2015
- Teaching Selma: Remembrances and Memorials Teaching with the Library of Congress blog February 19, 2015
Related resources
- Marching In Montgomery, 1965, Reconsidered Folklife Today blog March 30, 2015
- Today in History: Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream Image Sequencing Activity
- Primary Source Spotlight: Civil Rights more primary source collections