In 1957, which incident involved federal troops enforcing desegregation at a high school in Little Rock?

• A. Little Rock Nine
• B. Greensboro Four
• C. Montgomery Bus Boycott
• D. Freedom Rides

Answer: (A)

Desegregation enforcement by the federal government shows how national authority can override state resistance to landmark rulings. In 1957, at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine Black students—later known as the Little Rock Nine—attempted to enroll. The governor sent the state National Guard to block their entry, but President Eisenhower federalized the Guard and sent in federal troops to ensure they could attend. This action demonstrated that the federal government would enforce the Supreme Court’s desegregation rulings, even against state officials.

The other events—sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Greensboro, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Freedom Rides—were pivotal civil rights actions, but they did not involve federal troops enforcing desegregation at a Little Rock high school.