The 1965 Selma to Montgomery March
About 600 civil rights marchers left Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma on March 7, 1965. They walked peacefully toward Montgomery to protest voting discrimination.
When they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state troopers and county deputies attacked them with nightsticks, whips, and tear gas. This brutal assault gained nationwide attention and became known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Why They Marched for Voting Rights
Though Black people made up most of Dallas County’s population, only 2% could register to vote. Local officials used impossible literacy tests and threats to block registration.
The final spark came when state trooper James Fowler shot 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson during a peaceful night march in nearby Marion on February 18. Jackson died eight days later.
James Bevel of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference then suggested marching to the state capital to turn anger into action.
The Leaders Who Organized the March
John Lewis, head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, led the march with Reverend Hosea Williams from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Both groups had worked in Selma for months.
Bob Mants and Albert Turner walked directly behind them. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in Atlanta with his church that Sunday.
King planned to join the marchers the next day after they started their journey.
How Marchers Prepared at Brown Chapel AME Church
Brown Chapel served as home base for voting rights workers in Selma. The brick church with twin towers stood in the center of the Black community.
That Sunday morning, about 600 people filled the church. Before leaving, they knelt to pray, getting ready for what might happen.
Leaders taught marchers how to protect themselves without fighting back if attacked. They stressed staying peaceful no matter what.
Alabama Officials Prepare to Block the March
Governor George Wallace ordered state troopers to stop the march using “whatever measures necessary.” He claimed it would cause traffic problems and threaten public safety.
Sheriff Jim Clark, known for his violence against civil rights workers, called all white men over 21 in the county to become deputies. He told them to report to the courthouse that morning.
Major John Cloud placed about 150 state troopers at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, alongside Clark’s deputies and men on horseback.
The First Steps Across Edmund Pettus Bridge
Marchers left Brown Chapel walking quietly in pairs through Selma’s streets. They kept this neat formation as they approached the steel bridge over the Alabama River.
At the highest point of the bridge, Lewis and Williams paused briefly. Looking ahead, they saw a wall of state troopers in blue uniforms blocking their path.
Despite this scary sight, the marchers kept walking down toward the waiting officers.
Major Cloud’s Command to Disperse
When marchers reached the end of the bridge, Major Cloud spoke through a bullhorn. He called their march unlawful and ordered them to leave at once.
“This march will not continue,” Cloud announced. “Go back to your church or to your homes.”
Hosea Williams asked, “Can we have a word?” Cloud firmly replied, “There will be no word.”
When the Troopers Advanced
Cloud gave marchers two minutes to turn back, but after only about one minute, he ordered his men forward. Troopers put on gas masks and lined up.
They moved toward the peaceful marchers with nightsticks held high above their shoulders. They made no attempt to arrest anyone, only to use force.
The front line of marchers stopped but stood firm without fighting back as the troopers came closer.
The Brutal Assault on Nonviolent Marchers
Troopers slammed into the front line, knocking people down with nightsticks and bullwhips. They shot tear gas into the crowd as people tried to run away.
Men on horseback charged through, yelling while hitting marchers with whips and rubber tubes wrapped in barbed wire.
White onlookers cheered as officers chased fleeing marchers back across the bridge, beating them as they ran toward Brown Chapel.
John Lewis’s Injuries During the Attack
John Lewis stood at the front when troopers attacked. A state trooper hit him in the head with a nightstick, knocking him to the ground.
Lewis tried to shield his head with his hands. When he tried to get up, the same officer hit him again.
The 25-year-old leader suffered a cracked skull from the blows. He later said he thought he might die on the bridge that day.
The Toll of Bloody Sunday
Seventeen marchers went to the hospital with serious injuries after the attack. John Lewis was among them, treated for his skull fracture.
Another 50 people got help for less severe injuries, including tear gas exposure and bruises from nightsticks.
Amelia Boynton, a key voting rights organizer, was beaten until unconscious. A photo showing her lying on the bridge appeared in newspapers worldwide, shocking millions.
Visiting Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama
Edmund Pettus Bridge crosses the Alabama River at Broad Street (US Route 80) in Selma. You can walk across the bridge and read interpretive panels about Bloody Sunday along the route.
The Selma Interpretive Center at the west end of the bridge offers exhibits and ranger programs about the civil rights movement. Guided tours of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail start here most days.
Photography is allowed on the bridge. The annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee in early March draws thousands and features special events, speakers, and commemorative marches.
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