New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Early opposition to the civil rights movement

I can describe the different forms of opposition to the civil rights movement.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Early opposition to the civil rights movement

I can describe the different forms of opposition to the civil rights movement.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The KKK gained more support as opposition to the civil rights movement grew.
  2. Increased opposition led to increase violence (e.g. the murder of Emmett Till).
  3. The White Citizens' Councils were an example of organised opposition to civil rights in the south.
  4. There was opposition to the civil rights movement within the US government, often led by the 'Dixiecrats'.

Common misconception

Opposition to the civil rights movement was limited to organisations formed by the public

Opposition to the civil rights movement was organised both within the public and within the US government

Keywords

  • Lynching - lynching is when someone is killed for an offence without a trial, usually by an armed group

  • Federal - a federal government is a system of government where these is one central government that controls a collection of smaller state governments

  • Manifesto - a manifesto is a public declaration of policy and aims

  • Dixiecrat - a Dixiecrat was a Southern Democrat party politician, known for their opposition to the civil rights movement

  • Filibuster - a filibuster is a prolonged action (e.g. a speech) that aims to prevent the passing of a law

You could play the part of Dr King's 'I have a dream' speech in which he talks about those who say of the civil rights movement "when will you be satisfied?" - students could consider why opponents would ask this and note the injustices that Dr King lists here as still needing to be addressed.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
The laws enforced segregation in American society in every southern state and some northern states
Correct Answer: Jim Crow, jim crow
Q2.
Which court case in 1896 ruled that segregation was legal so long as it was ‘separate but equal’?
Correct answer: Plessy v Ferguson
Brown v Topeka
grandfather clause
Q3.
Place the events of the civil rights movement in order, starting with the earliest.
2 - Brown V Topeka
3 - The start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
4 - Little Rock
5 - Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Crusade for Citizenship
Q4.
Which of the following groups opposed the 1957 Civil Rights Act?
Correct answer: the White Citizens Council (WCC)
Correct answer: the Ku Klux Klan
Correct answer: southern Democrats
Q5.
Which of the following statements accurately describes what happened when Elizabeth Eckford turned up at Little Rock High alone?
She was able to walk into the school
Correct answer: She faced the National Guard
Correct answer: She faced an angry crowd calling for her to by lyched
Q6.
In which of the following civil rights events was Martin Luther King Jr involved?
Correct answer: The SCLCs ‘Crusade for Citizenship'
Correct answer: Meetings with Eisenhower that led to the passing of the 1957 Civil Rights Act
Correct answer: Leading the the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)
Founding the NAACP

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter in each box
Correct Answer:manifesto,a public declaration of policy and aims.

a public declaration of policy and aims.

Correct Answer:Dixiecrat,Southern Democrat politician who opposed the civil rights movement

Southern Democrat politician who opposed the civil rights movement

Correct Answer:filibuster,prolonged action that aims to prevents the passing of a law

prolonged action that aims to prevents the passing of a law

Q2.
Which of the following statements explains why membership of the KKK grew in the 1950s?
Correct answer: in response to the developing civil rights movement
after it was no longer illegal to be a member of the KKK
as a result of the president openly supporting the KKK
Q3.
Why did the crimes of the KKK often go unpunished? Select the statements that are correct.
Correct answer: The KKK hid their identities by dressing in white robes and hoods.
Correct answer: The KKK members included politicians and policemen
Correct answer: The jury at some of the trials were often all white
Q4.
Which of the following statements best describe the tactics of the White Citizens' Council in opposing the civil rights movement?
Lynching black Americans
Correct answer: Getting civil rights activists fired from their jobs
Correct answer: Refusing civil rights activists services such as mortgages or loans
Correct answer: Evicting civil rights activists from their homes
Q5.
Senator Thurmond held a 24 hour, 18 minute in opposition to Eisenhower’s attempt to pass the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Correct Answer: filibuster
Q6.
What was contained in the Southern Manifesto, the document signed by nearly 100 members of the US government in 1956? Select all of the correct statements.
Correct answer: a document outlining their outrage at the Brown v. Topeka ruling
a document outlining their outrage at the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Correct answer: their encouragement to schools to continue resisting desegregation.

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