Chapter 3 - Bringing the Declaration of Independence to Life Flashcards
What is the overarching message of this chapter?
The chapter details the struggle to bring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to life, focusing on civil rights battles and the federal government’s evolving role in protecting minority rights against state-level discrimination.
How did the attack on Isaac Woodard in 1946 impact the civil rights movement?
The brutal attack and subsequent acquittal of the officer responsible garnered national attention, pushing President Truman to take action on civil rights, including forming the President’s Committee on Civil Rights.
How did President Truman respond to the challenges of civil rights in the 1940s?
He ordered investigations into police brutality, formed the President’s Committee on Civil Rights, and began desegregating the military and civil service, despite facing opposition from southern Democrats.
What was significant about Felix Longoria’s case in Texas in 1949?
The refusal to hold a wake for the Mexican American soldier highlighted racial discrimination, prompting support from Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and leading to Longoria’s burial with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
How did Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley contribute to the fight against segregation?
As NAACP lawyers, they challenged racial segregation by arguing that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment, leading to landmark Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which declared school segregation unconstitutional.
What was the outcome and significance of the Brown v. Board of Education decision?
The Supreme Court unanimously declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, emphasizing the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and setting a legal precedent for further civil rights advances.
How did white southerners react to desegregation rulings in the 1950s?
They established segregation academies, resisted integration with violence, and some, like Strom Thurmond, used extreme measures like filibustering to block civil rights legislation.
What role did the murder of Emmett Till play in the civil rights movement?
The brutal murder and the subsequent acquittal of his killers exposed the extent of racial violence, sparking national outrage and fueling the civil rights movement.
How did Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott influence the civil rights movement?
Rosa Parks’ arrest led to a year-long bus boycott, drawing national attention and resulting in a Supreme Court ruling that desegregated public transportation, further energizing the civil rights struggle.
How did President Eisenhower respond to resistance against school integration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957?
He federalized the National Guard and sent the 101st Airborne Division to enforce the integration of Central High School, demonstrating federal commitment to civil rights.
What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1957?
It aimed to strengthen Black voting rights, marking the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, though it faced opposition, including a record-long filibuster by Strom Thurmond.
What key shift did the federal government make regarding civil rights by the late 1950s?
The government began to protect the rights of citizens against state-level discrimination, reinforcing the principle that all people are created equal and entitled to democratic participation.
