May 21, 1961: After race riots broke out in Montgomery, Alabama, President John F. Kennedy sent 300 federal marshals into the city to keep order. JFK sent the marshals in after Alabama Gov. John Patterson said he could not guarantee that law and order would be maintained. The Montgomery riots were connected to the Freedom Rides, in which civil rights activists traveled the south by bus challenging segregation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequelThe Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtripThe Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Crossword: May 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword
