Museum or archive
Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1963
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Historic crimes & investigations · 15 September 1963Open article references →
The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
16th Street Baptist Church · United States
Why editors use it hereHistorian-introduced primary-source study of the bombing, victims, prosecution, and civil-rights context.
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Quick read
On Sunday morning, 15 September 1963, Ku Klux Klan members bombed Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church, a center of civil-rights organizing.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
Bombers placed dynamite beneath exterior steps beside the church basement.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
Four Klan members are generally identified as responsible; Herman Cash died without being charged, and evidence about each man's role varies.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
The attack targeted children, worship, and organizing in order to terrorize a whole movement.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read