The Eisenhower Years

1
The Eisenhower Years

• Eisenhower and the Civil Rights Movement

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Eisenhower and the Civil Rights Movement

• Aim To explore the impact Eisenhower had on the
  progress of the Civil Rights movement.
• Key Words
• Eisenhower
• Till
• Brown

3
Starter

• 5 Adjectives to describe Truman

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Eisenhower (1952-61)

• Why do we know him? (what is significant about
  the uniform?)
• He was a republican, and reminded people he was
  from a small white town.
• He saw no gain in having a strong civil rights
  platform.
• Civil rights had divided the Democrat party.

5
Eisenhower and Race

• He had one black member of staff. (doing the
  rubbish jobs)
• He only met black leaders once.
• Eisenhowers staff believed that black issues
  were over-dramatised and that black people should
  be more grateful for the equalities they had.

6
The Emmet Till Case

• August 1955, Tills mutilated body dragged from
  Mississippi. He was accused of whistling at a
  white woman.
• Claims he was alive and this was part of NAACP
  plot!
• Defendant (with democrat congressman on his side)
  was found not guilty.
• 1990 Democrat senator he was deservedly killed
  for failing to abide by

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1990 Democrat senator

• he was deservedly killed for failing to abide by
  southern customs

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Quote Literary Source Work

• What inferences can we, as historians, draw from
  the following quotes.
• Are they useful, reliable, valid?
• What do they convey in terms of Eisenhowers
  commitment to racial equality?

9
Quote Literary Source Work

• All they are concerned about is to see that
  their sweet little girls are not required to sit
  in school alongside some big overgrown Negroes.

10
Quote Literary Source Work
It is all very well to talk about school
integration, but you may also be talking about
social disintegration. We cannot demand
perfection in these moral questions. All we can
do is keep working toward a goal.
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Brown- 1954

• In your groups, imagine and play the role of
  Brown and his legal team.
• I want you to come up with a fact based argument
  as to why segregation schools should be
  abolished.
• Include moral questions, organisations, other
  acts (Plessey vs Ferguson) and any other evidence
  you can.

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Brown- 1954

• You should have a group and individual copy of
  your arguments.
• Ensure you do it for both Brown 1 and Brown 2 (Vs
  the Supreme court)
• Good luck

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5 Adjectives to describe Eisenhower
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Homework

• To be handed in next Friday.
• Did Truman and Eisenhower differ in their
  treatment of the civil rights movement. Explain
  why / why not.
• 40 Mark question.