High School U.S. History Study Guide for the STAAR test

The American Civil Rights Movement

You need to grasp the impact of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In other words, you should understand how this movement in the 1950s and 1960s changed everyday life across the country.

Basic Development

The Civil Rights Movement is often referred to as the time period of activism for equal rights during the 1950s and 60s. However, the movement dates back to the period of slavery in the U.S. when abolitionists advocated for the end of slavery. Then, during the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, Jim Crow laws segregated black and white people in most public places. There was pushback against these laws throughout this period. Finally, civil rights are an ongoing issue in the U.S. that have influenced fair housing laws, same-sex marriage court decisions, racial profiling, women’s rights, and more.

13th Amendment—passed in 1865; formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States

14th Amendment—passed in 1868; granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which was a big step in civil rights for recently freed slaves

15th Amendment—passed in 1869; prohibited federal or state governments from denying a person the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This was also a big step for black people and former slaves. In the span of 5 years, African Americans gained freedom from slavery, citizenship as Americans, and the right to vote.

19th Amendment—passed in 1920; gave women the right to vote; often seen as a major civil rights victory and a big step in the movement for women’s rights.

Political Organizations

Political organizations promoted the rights of different groups of people in the U.S. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP) is the main organization that advocates for African American rights. The Chicano Movement advocates for the rights of Mexican Americans and was led by people such as Cesar Chavez. The American Indian Movement is the principal organization that advocates for the rights of Native Americans.

You should understand the different approaches to achieving equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience to achieve equal rights. The Black Panthers advocated for more extreme measures that sometimes called for fighting back.

Leaders of Movements

The following people were important leaders of various movements for civil rights with which you should be familiar.

Martin Luther King Jr.—leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He led on the foundational teaching of peaceful protests and non-violent activism. He was imprisoned several times and is well known for his Letter from Birmingham Jail in which he outlined his strategy for nonviolent protest against racism. Finally, he is perhaps most well known for his I Have a Dream speech during the March on Washington in which thousands of people marched in protest to segregation. MLK spoke about his dream of a world free of racism and hate.

Cesar Chavez—co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association and political activist for the rights of farm workers

Rosa Parks—peacefully refused to give up her seat to a white person on a public bus, which subsequently began the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Hector Garcia—activist for the rights of Mexican Americans and founder of the American G.I. Forum

Betty Friedan—political activist for women’s rights and co-founder of the National Organization for Women

Actions by the President and Congress

One of the characteristics of a republic like the United States is that the people have the ability to bring about change. The following are actions that were taken by the government in response to the demands of various civil rights activist groups.

Armed Forces Desegregation—executive order signed in 1945; ended segregation in the military and allowed for African Americans to sign up for the draft

Civil Rights Act of 1957—protected the rights of all citizens to vote, regardless of race and prohibited states from making obstacles to voting

Civil Rights Act of 1964—eliminated discrimination for jobs based on race, color, religion, sex, or nation of origin (created what is known as equal opportunity employment)

Voting Rights Act of 1965—eliminated discriminatory practices in terms of voting, like the literacy test requirement (which was often used in the South to keep black people from voting)

Opposing Individuals and Groups

The following are some individuals and groups known for their opposition to civil rights.

George Wallace—Governor of Alabama and perhaps the most widely known opponent to the civil rights movement and equal rights for black people

Orval Faubus—Governor of Arkansas who opposed school integration and spoke out against allowing black students to Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas

Lester Maddox—Governor of Georgia in the late 60s, opponent to civil rights known for defying civil rights legislation by refusing to serve black people at his restaurant (he owned a restaurant prior to becoming governor)

Southern Democrats—party that maintained tight control over nearly all Congressional seats in across the South due to practices of making it difficult for black people to vote (often by requiring that they pass difficult literacy tests or making voter registration difficult)

You need to understand that one of the greatest impacts, or results, of the civil rights movement was the increased participation of minorities in the political process. Because of the struggle and fight that these people underwent, we see black people, women, and people of other minorities serving in public office, voting, and enjoying equal access to many things they didn’t have before. Be sure to connect these results with those that came about as the result of the civil rights movement.

Landmark Cases

The following court cases were landmarks in that they changed the landscape of American life. Be sure to review the role each of these cases had in protecting the rights of minorities in the U.S.

Brown v. Board of Education—overruled the previous court case Plessy v. Ferguson by stating that segregated schools were separate but in no way equal as black schools often lacked funding, good facilities, teachers, and opportunities when compared with white schools

Mendez v. Westminster—1947; first case to rule that segregation of schools was unconstitutional

Hernandez v. Texas—ruled that Mexican Americans and all other national groups in the U.S. have equal protection under the 14th Amendment

Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D.—ended segregation of Mexican children from whites in Texas schools

Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby—argued students in poor schools were discriminated against due to lack of funding; case brought about a change in school funding policy

Sweatt v. Painter—1950 case in which a black man was denied entrance to the University of Texas Law School because state law restricted entrance to whites only; a case that was influential in the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954

The 1970s through 1990

Several important people, events, and trends were important during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s as political, economic, and social factors. Review the list below and research more, if needed, to gain an understanding of the main events of this period.

Presidential Leadership

Nixon and Reagan were the two most iconic leaders during this period.

Richard M. Nixon—normalized relations with China and experienced a time of lower tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union

Ronald Reagan**—negotiated the fall of the Berlin Wall, supported lower taxes and fewer government restrictions on the free market

Energy

Americans consume most of the world’s energy resources, though we only make up about 5% of the world’s population. Increased demand for energy has led to problems like the Oil Crisis in 1973 and increased U.S. involvement in the Middle East.

The Middle East

Historically, the Middle East is a volatile region that contains many different ethnic groups and most of the world’s oil reserves.

Supporting Israel—U.S. high degree of support for Israel for several reasons, including similar political ideology, public support for Jews after the Holocaust, and an active pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. Whatever the reason, the U.S. has given Israel billions of dollars over the years and been a close military ally.

The Camp David Accords—meeting between U.S., Israel, and Palestinian leaders in which much progress toward a peace agreement was achieved. Palestinians were given limited self-rule and recognition as a country, while Israel was also recognized as a state by many of their neighbors.

The Iran-Contra Affair—during the Reagan presidency, an accusation of the U.S. of selling weapons to Iran in exchange for help in the release of hostages in Lebanon

Marines in Lebanon—in 1983; killing of 241 U.S. Marines in a suicide attack on their barracks in Lebanon. The troops were there with a multinational force to oversee the withdrawal of Palestinians from the country.

The Iran Hostage Crisis—more than 60 Americans held hostage for 444 days as Iran experienced a power shift and the protest of American influence in the country

Conservative Resurgence

In general, the average American was older in 1980 than in 1960 and the conservative movement gained traction in response to the counterculture movement of the 60s. This was known as the New Right Movement. Reagan was attractive to this movement as he advocated for the common man.

Phyllis Schlafly— women’s rights activist and advocate against the Equal Rights Amendment, which she said would threaten a woman’s security in the workplace or home

The Contract with America— series of legislation passed in 1994 after Republicans gained a majority in both the House and Senate

The Heritage Foundation— conservative think tank organization that advocated for conservative public policy

The Moral Majority— activist group organized in the 1970s to promote conservative reforms like allowing prayer in schools and strict restrictions on abortion

The National Rifle Association (NRA)— organization that exists to protect the rights granted to citizens through the 2nd Amendment, the right to bear arms

Societal Issues

Largely characterized by the conservative movement, this time period also saw some major cultural shifts such as the birth of MTV and the increase in cable, movies, and television.