History – Civil Rights in America
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ROLE
Presidents
Year President Role Good/Bad
Pre-1865 Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation Good
1865 Johnson Opposed Civil Rights legislation Bad
1868 + 1872 Grant Accepted Reconstruction policy, “do his best” for equality for slaves Good/ Bad
1885 + 1893 Cleveland Affirmed the rights of all Americans regardless of colour but favours southern states, no questioning of white supremacy Bad
1901 Theodore Roosevelt Supported Progressive movement, did not address Black Civil Rights, approved of T. Washington Good/ Bad
Taft Took little interest in Civil Rights, believed in States’ Rights Bad
1912 + 1916 Woodrow Typical racist views, appointed segregationists and dismissed African Americans Bad
1921 Harding Race relations in the South had a ‘superior understanding’ of the problem Bad
1923 Coolidge Declared Black Rights were as ‘sacred’ as anyone else’s but was passive Good/ Bad
Hoover Attempted to appoint a racist Supreme Court Judge but was stopped successfully by the NAACP Bad
1934 Roosevelt New Deal, powerless to help, wife supported Blacks, executive order to desegregate federal employment and set up the Fair Employment Commission Good/ Bad
1945 Truman Executive order to desegregate the US military, commissioned a President’s Committee on Civil Rights, no legislation Good/ Bad
1953 Eisenhower Passive, did not favour aggressive action, failed to take the initiative after the Brown Case, helped in Little Rock Good/ Bad
1961 Kennedy Southern states were failing to maintain law and order, lukewarm response, Robert Kennedy more favourable Good/ Bad
1963 + 1964 Johnson Not always consistent, general support for Civil Rights, got together a pro-civil rights coalition of Republicans and Democrats Good
1968 Nixon Strong line on law and order, pause from Civil Rights, moderately liberal line Bad
1974 Ford Voted for Civil Rights Bills but sceptical of too much Federal power in this area Good/ Bad
1977...