How far was the leadership of Martin Luther King responsible for the gains made by the civil rights movement between the years 1955 and 1968?

The leadership of Martin Luther King was heavily influential between 1955 and 1968 and his success was almost entirely down to his methods of peaceful protest, especially in the South. His philosophy of non-violent direct action helped him to project the movement across the whole of America with help from media companies, the movement gained a substantial amount of support out of sympathy when the American citizens saw the brutal treatment of innocent protestors, increasing the already large numbers of campaigners.

Though his campaigns King showed sheer determination and dedication to achieving the ultimate goal of equality. His campaigns impacted all areas of American society whether that be social, political or economical, his protests had the power to affect all. King was ambitious in his ventures, in 1963, he set out to desegregate the most heavily segregated city in the country, Birmingham. Here he targeted black unemployment by provoking violence and not retaliating. After the demonstrations the process of desegregation began slowly, promises were made to end segregation in employment, department stores were desegregated and those jailed for their participation in the campaign were freed. As well as these progressions, Kennedy announced plans to pass a bill that was said to finally end segregation. The Birmingham campaign helped King significantly in his quest for racial and civil equality. After the success of Birmingham his reputation rocketed, this triumph led to him leading the March on Washington later that year.

Many groups joined for the March on Washington, this specific campaign led by King showed the movement, with a common ideology, united for the first time in is history. On 28th August 1963, King