**History, Purpose and Mission of the Selma to Montgomery**

**National Historic Trail**

**History**

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail was established by
Congress in 1996, to commemorate the events, people, and route of the
1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. The March route is a component of
the National Trails System, and is administered by the National Park
Service (NPS). The route is also designated as a National Scenic
Byway/All-American Road, awarded by the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT). Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) is a key partner in interpreting and protecting this historic
route; with the majority of project funding provided through the Scenic
Byways Program.

SEMO is the shortest of the 23 historic and scenic trails in the
National Trails System. The National Trails System Act institutes a
national system of recreation, scenic, and historic trails. Historic
trails are extended routes that follow nationally-significant, original
routes of travel as closely as possible.

The 54-mile trail follows the historic voting rights march by beginning
at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma, and crossing the Edmond
Pettus Bridge. On March 7, 1965, as non-violent marchers crossed the
bridge, they were tear- gassed, beaten, and their processional stopped
by law enforcement officers. This display of violence, heaped upon
non-violent protesters was captured by the news media and broadcasted
worldwide. This event came to be known as "Bloody Sunday." Outraged
protesters from across the country joined the marchers for a subsequent
five-day march that began in Selma on March 21, 1965, this time with
state and federal law enforcement protection.

The marchers traveled along U.S. Highway 80 in Dallas County, continued
through Lowndes County and Montgomery County, and ended the five day
trek at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. The Southern Christian
leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC) organized the logistics for the march---providing food,
water, sanitation, and other services for the marchers, who camped out
along the way. Twenty-five thousand marchers concluded the historic
march in Montgomery on March 25^th^ with many notable speakers who
addressed the crowd at a concluding rally near the capitol building. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of his most notable speeches at
the rally. As a result of this historic event, the Voting Rights Act was
passed on May 26, 1965.

Historians view the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March as one
of the last great grassroot campaigns for human rights and the summit of
the modern civil rights movement that originated in the 1950s. The March
and complimentary events brought the issues associated with voting
rights to the forefront of the United States political agenda and raised
the nation's consciousness about the struggle of African-Americans for
equal rights.

**PURPOSE OF TRAIL**

The Purpose of the Selma to Montgomery Trail is that of the following:

-   Commemoration of the events, people, and route of the Selma to
    Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965, as a reminder of the right
    and responsibility of all Americans to participate fully in the
    election process and the maintenance of vigilance in protecting the
    right to vote;

-   The identification, preservation, and protection of the historic
    route, and resources that inform the world about the Selma to
    Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965;

-   The interpretation and documentation of the story of the Selma to
    Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965, including its antecedents,
    and aftermath, in the context of the larger human and civil rights
    movement; and

-   The enhancement and development of broad partnerships between the
    National Park Service, state and local governments, as well as
    various citizen groups, to achieve the Trail's purpose.

> **Mission of the National Park Service at the Selma to Montgomery
> National Historic Trail**
>
> It is the mission of the National Park Service to preserve and
> interpret the history of the sites associated with the 1965 voting
> rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama which resulted in the
> signing of the Voting Rights Act in August 6, 1965.
>
> **Significance statement for the Trail:**

-   Events associated with the march from Selma to Montgomery, with what
    came to be known as "Bloody Sunday" sent shock waves around the
    world, raised the nation's consciousness, and convinced political
    leaders, that the time had come for voting rights legislation.

-   The Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Mach was the major catalyst
    for passage of the Voting rights Act of 1965. Marchers brought the
    issue of voting rights to the forefront of the United States
    political agenda, and their peaceful means won broad support for
    their cause.

-   Passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, five months after the
    Selma to Montgomery