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Year 2 - History

Paul Stephenson and the Bristol Bus Boycott

Significant individuals who changed Britain: how did they fight for change?

Unit Summary

The stories of Emily Davison and Paul Stephenson help students understand when change has occurred in social justice. They learn about the diversity of those who fought for change and gain a broader sense of history and curiosity about the past.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the reasons for, and events of, the Bristol Bus Boycott.

Key Notes

  • One big problem that black people faced in Bristol was finding good jobs.
  • Even though there were not enough workers on the city's buses, people of colour were not allowed to work on them.
  • This made Paul Stephenson very angry and so with four men from the Caribbean islands he decided to take action.
  • They organised a boycott of the city's buses, supported by students, celebrities and politicians.
  • After several months, the bus company agreed to allow people of colour to work on the buses.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • protest: a protest is when a lot of people come together to show others that they strongly dislike something
  • boycott: a boycott is when people refuse to buy or use something as a protest
  • politician: a politician is someone who works for the government

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Some may think that the only people not allowed to work for the Bristol bus companies in 1963 were black people.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

One big problem that black people faced in Bristol was finding good jobs. Even though there were not enough workers on the city's buses, people of colour were not allowed to work on them.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'protest'

a protest is when a lot of people come together to show others that they strongly dislike something.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Some may think that the only people not allowed to work for the Bristol bus companies in 1963 were black people. Correction: The bus companies did not allow anyone who was not white to work for them.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 2 History guide library.