Comparison of the US and Australian civil rights movements reveals some significant similarities and differences. The most fundamental similarity is that both movements were fought in order to gain equality for the marginalized and oppressed groups within each nation. This was done primarily through civil disobedience and freedom rides. However, there were also some key differences. The US civil rights movement was significantly more violent than the Australian civil rights movement. The US movement was initiated by the African-American community, who had higher quality weaponry available to them, leading to the American Civil War. In contrast, the Australian civil rights movement was initiated by university students and was non-violent. The US movement also had more Freedom Rides, which were often met with violence and resulted in high numbers of casualties