Return to TAH Lesson Plans
UMBC Center for History Eduction
Resources for Teachers Timeline
Site Credits
UMBC Home Page |
| Civil Rights and Cold Warriors |
| [Download a printer-friendly version] |
 |
 |
Author: Tim Johnson, Chesapeake High School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Grade Level: High
Duration: One class period |
Overview:
 |
The end of World War II and the ensuing start of the Cold War brought the United States in direct competition with the Soviet Union. Each super power vied for authority and influence in many countries throughout the world. The United States championed freedom and democracy abroad, but on its own soil had to cope with the seemingly hypocritical way its African-American citizens were treated. How could a country purport to spread equality when its own schools were segregated until 1954? This was just one example of some of the arguments raised by civil rights activists. From 1945-1963, Presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy Jr. dealt with this dichotomy.
Each president had their own convictions and in this lesson students will analyze each of the three administration's commitment to civil rights. They will examine primary source documents and make their own recommendations to each president. Finally, they will compare their suggestions to what actually happened.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
