Black civil rights movement pre 1950

1. Civil Rights in the 1950s
Learning Objectives: To identify the key turning points in the history of the
Black American community and to evaluate the progress towards equality
achieved by 1945
Key Terms,
Events, Names:
Slavery, Civil War,
Constitution,
Plessy v.
Ferguson, Jim
Crow, WW1/WW2

2. Research Task
Read Chapter 1 in Access to History:
Civil Rights in the USA 1945-68.
In pairs you are to create a timeline
showing the history of Black Americans
in the USA. Try to chart key turning
points in the progress towards equality
by 1945. Must be completed by next
lesson.
There will be a short test to ensure that
you have a good background
understanding of these events.
LO: Explain the
position of Black
Americans pre
1945

3. Segregation &
Discrimination
LO: Explain the
position of Black
Americans pre
1945

4. Segregation &
Discrimination
LO: Explain the
position of Black
Americans pre
1945
Civil War between Southern slave states and Northern states
Reconstruction Act
Establishment of Ku Klux Klan
Supreme Court (PLESSY v. FERGUSON) approved ‘Jim Crow’ segregation laws
13th Amendment abolished slavery
Race riots in 25 cities
15th Amendment said vote was not to be denied on account of race
The Declaration of Independence
NAACP’s 1st successful litigation: Supreme Court outlawed grandfather clause
Constitution of the new United States of America
14th Amendment said blacks were citizens
Civil Rights Act
Based on the work you have done in creating a timeline of key events linked to
equality for black Americans put the below in chronological order

5. Segregation &
Discrimination
LO: Explain the
position of Black
Americans pre
1945
Draftee’s Prayer:
Dear Lord, today I go
to war;
To fight, to die
Tell me what for
Dear Lord, I’ll fight,
I do not fear Germans
or Japs,
My fears are here,
America
What can you learn
from the above source
about fears of Black
Americans during
WW2
Review pages 26 – 28 and
answer the below
questions:
Was there any progress in
the civil rights for black
Americans in the 1940s?
Construct a balance sheet,
showing progress on one
side and a lack of progress
on the other.
Were there any changes to
equality by the end of the
decade?