A Levels
Revision essay plans
1. To what extent had African Americans made progress towards equality in the period 1945 to 1957?
Progress • Education and actions of NAACP and Supreme Court - Brown decision 1954 – overturned Plessey v Ferguson - Actions of NAACP in other education cases (eg Sweatt v Painter) - Role of Thurgood Marshall, main lawyer in NAACP - Supreme Court more favourable to civil rights after appointment of Earl Warren as Chief Justice • Military and other actions of Truman - Executive Order to desegregate military 1948 - Truman commissioned report ‘To Secure these Rights’ 1947 with recommendations for improved civil rights - Generally Truman helped to awaken USA’s conscience to civil rights issues • Transport - Montgomery Bus Boycott (explain why this was successful) - Browder v Gayle 1956 (court case which confirmed that segregation on Montgomey buses was illegal)
Lack of progress • Limits to progress in education and continued segregation - difficulties in enforcing Brown (in fact, not fully enforced till early 70s) - Brown II – ‘all deliberate speed’ - Little Rock 1957 • Limits to progress under Truman - report ‘To Secure these Rights’ achieved little concrete change - resistance to Truman in Congress and particularly from Southern Democrats (‘Dixiecrats’) • Continued violence and intimidation towards blacks - lynchings rose after Brown decision – eg Emmet Till 1955 - Southern Manifesto • Continued discrimination in other areas, especially voting rights
2. Why was progress towards civil rights for African Americans slow in the period 1945 to 1955? • Opposition to progress from Congress – remember that progress was dependent on all 3 branches of government supporting change (ie President, Congress and Supreme Court) - Southern
1. To what extent had African Americans made progress towards equality in the period 1945 to 1957?
Progress • Education and actions of NAACP and Supreme Court - Brown decision 1954 – overturned Plessey v Ferguson - Actions of NAACP in other education cases (eg Sweatt v Painter) - Role of Thurgood Marshall, main lawyer in NAACP - Supreme Court more favourable to civil rights after appointment of Earl Warren as Chief Justice • Military and other actions of Truman - Executive Order to desegregate military 1948 - Truman commissioned report ‘To Secure these Rights’ 1947 with recommendations for improved civil rights - Generally Truman helped to awaken USA’s conscience to civil rights issues • Transport - Montgomery Bus Boycott (explain why this was successful) - Browder v Gayle 1956 (court case which confirmed that segregation on Montgomey buses was illegal)
Lack of progress • Limits to progress in education and continued segregation - difficulties in enforcing Brown (in fact, not fully enforced till early 70s) - Brown II – ‘all deliberate speed’ - Little Rock 1957 • Limits to progress under Truman - report ‘To Secure these Rights’ achieved little concrete change - resistance to Truman in Congress and particularly from Southern Democrats (‘Dixiecrats’) • Continued violence and intimidation towards blacks - lynchings rose after Brown decision – eg Emmet Till 1955 - Southern Manifesto • Continued discrimination in other areas, especially voting rights
2. Why was progress towards civil rights for African Americans slow in the period 1945 to 1955? • Opposition to progress from Congress – remember that progress was dependent on all 3 branches of government supporting change (ie President, Congress and Supreme Court) - Southern