The strain rate and temperature dependence of the flow stress of copper (99.999% purity) and copper-manganese 1.1wt%) dilute alloy single crystals with the orientations suitable for easy glide has been investigated by compression tests over the strain rate range of 10-4 to 103 sec-1 and the temperature range of 77The critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) at room temperature gradually increases with increasing strain rate over the low strain rate range, but rapidly increases over the high strain rate range. At low strain rates the CRSS increases with decreasing temperature and increases nearly in proportion to the atomic concentration of manganese. On the contrary, at high strain rates the CRSS for pure copper and 0.1% manganese alloy scarcely varies with temperature, but rather tends to increase with increasing temperature.For 0.5% and 1.1% manganese alloys, however, it decreases with increasing temperature. The manganese concentration dependence of the CRSS at low strain rates and its temperature dependence at low temperatures are well explained by Friedel's solid solution hardening theory. The temperature dependence for 0.5% and 1.1% manganese alloys at high strain rates is also explained qualitatively by the same theory. It is considered that the strain rate dependence in the low strain rate range is controlled by the non-conservative motion of jogs on moving dislocations. On the contrary, for the explanation of the magnitude and strain rate dependence of the CRSS for pure copper and 0.1% manganese alloy in the high strain rate range, the frictional resistance against moving dislocations from the crystal lattice should be taken into consideration. It is also presumed that the frictional resistance contributes considerably to the deformation of 0.5% and 1.1% manganese alloys crystals at high strain rates.