US Civil Rights Act of 1964

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Questions and Answers

What event led to international outcry and national protests during the Kennedy administration?

  • The Freedom Rides
  • JFK's national address
  • James Meredith's university application
  • Protests in Birmingham, Alabama (correct)

What was the primary focus of the proposed civil rights legislation?

  • Strengthening the Attorney General's authority
  • Protecting voting rights
  • Preventing discrimination in all institutions
  • Outlawing discrimination in public facilities (correct)

Who worked with President Lyndon Johnson to secure crucial votes for the Civil Rights Act?

  • The Attorney General
  • Everett Dirksen (correct)
  • James Meredith
  • Martin Luther King Jr.

What event led to President Lyndon Johnson prioritizing the Civil Rights Act?

<p>JFK's assassination (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When was the Civil Rights Act signed into law?

<p>July 2, 1964 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was President Lyndon Johnson's strategy to secure the passage of the Civil Rights Act?

<p>Dislodging the tax bill and clearing the way for the Act (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act to President Lyndon Johnson?

<p>It was a way to honor JFK's memory (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?

<p>To remove systemic racial prejudice (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954?

<p>Segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why were African Americans unable to exercise their voting rights despite some efforts to address racial issues?

<p>Southern politicians vetoed legislation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of the incident that drew attention to racial injustices in 1955?

<p>The murder of Emmett Till (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of advocacy groups like the NAACP and CORE?

<p>To lobby the government and coordinate protests (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did President Eisenhower do in 1957?

<p>He deployed federal troops to integrate Little Rock High School in Arkansas (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the desegregation crisis in Little Rock High School in Arkansas?

<p>The school was integrated with the help of federal troops (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

1964 Civil Rights Act

Abolished segregation in public places and employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

De facto segregation

Segregation that existed because of social and economic factors.

Civil Rights Advocacy Groups

Organizations that advocated for civil rights and lobbied the government.

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Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools as unconstitutional.

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Eisenhower's Action in Little Rock (1957)

Integrated Little Rock High School by deploying federal troops.

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Freedom Rides

Civil rights activists rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States to challenge local laws and customs that enforced segregation in seating.

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James Meredith's University Application

A legal case and a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement, which resulted in the desegregation of the University of Mississippi.

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JFK's Civil Rights Address

Addressed the nation, calling for civil rights legislation to end discrimination.

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Civil Rights Act Priority

Lyndon Johnson's priority following JFK's death.

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Study Notes

  • The 1964 Civil Rights Act was the most significant piece of legislation in 20th-century US history, aimed at removing systemic racial prejudice.
  • Between the American Civil War and the first Reconstruction, segregation was established through Jim Crow laws, separating public facilities, washrooms, water fountains, hotels, and jobs, with the justice system favoring whites.
  • Segregation in the South was legally sanctioned, while de facto segregation existed in the North, limiting blacks' access to quality housing and jobs.
  • Advocacy groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Congress of Racial Equality, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formed to lobby the government and coordinate protests.
  • Despite some efforts, the federal government did little to address racial issues, with southern politicians vetoing legislation and blacks unable to exercise their voting rights.
  • Landmark events like the murder of Emmett Till, the attempted integration of the University of Alabama, and the Montgomery bus boycott drew attention to racial injustices.
  • The Supreme Court's 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, paving the way for desegregation crises.
  • In 1957, President Eisenhower deployed federal troops to integrate Little Rock High School in Arkansas.
  • The Kennedy administration faced racial crises, including the Freedom Rides, James Meredith's university application, and protests in Birmingham, Alabama, which led to international outcry and national protests.
  • JFK's national address called for civil rights legislation, committing the federal government to action.
  • The proposed legislation aimed to outlaw discrimination in public facilities, protect voting rights, strengthen the Attorney General's authority, and prevent discrimination in federally funded institutions.
  • After JFK's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson prioritized the Civil Rights Act, recognizing its significance in honoring Kennedy's memory.
  • Johnson dislodged the tax bill, cleared the way for the Civil Rights Act, and worked with Everett Dirksen to secure crucial votes, leading to the bill's passage in the Senate and its signing into law on July 2, 1964.

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