Mermelstein US History II classesName:

Chapter 26 – The Civil Rights Era 1945-1975

Section 2 – An Expanding Role for Government

Packet

Look at page 880:

  1. Before reading the poem, look at the title “Midway”. What do you think of when you read that title?
  1. Read the poem. This poem was written in response to Brown v. Board of Education. What is the poem saying?
  1. Is Madgett (the author of the poem) optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Why do you think so?
  1. Compare this poem to “I, Too” by Langston Hughes on page 751. How are they similar? How can you tell Madgett’s was written at a later time in history?

An Expanding Role for Government

The Warren Court (pages 881-882):

  1. In 1953, who did President Eisenhower choose to be the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court?
  1. Although President Eisenhower was middle-of-the-road (what does that mean?) and expected the new chief justice to follow all precedents, what decision did the Supreme Court announce one year after the new chief justice was appointed?
  1. What precedent did that decision break?
  1. In 1966, the Warren Court issued the decision of Miranda v. Arizona. What is the result of that ruling?
  1. Describe the 1969 case of Tinker v. Des Moines School District.
  1. Fill in this chart of Key Decisions of the Warren Court:

Case / Decision Based On / Impact
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Tinker v. Des MoinesSchool District(1969)
  1. What is judicial activism?

Kennedy’s Brief Presidency (pp. 882-884):

  1. How old was President Kennedy when he was elected president?
  2. President Kennedy asked Congress to:

b.

c.

  1. What was Congress’ response to most of President Kennedy’s proposals?
  2. What was President Kennedy’s most lasting accomplishment?
  1. Before his death, what did President Kennedy decide the country needed?
  1. What happened on November 22, 1963?
  1. What happened on November 24, 1963?

Johnson’s Great Society (pp. 884-885):

  1. Who became president when JFK was assassinated?
  1. Did Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) grow up poor or rich?
  1. What job did LBJ have as a young man?
  1. What president was LBJ a supporter of?
  1. LBJ’s political career was:

House of Representatives /

  1. LBJ had Congress pass more new laws since when?
  1. (Read the quote from LBJ at the top of p. 884) What link does LBJ make between education and poverty?
  1. How did Head Start relate to what LBJ wanted to do?
  1. What was the name of LBJ’s domestic program?
  1. What were the two goals of the Great Society?
  1. What did LBJ declare war on?
  2. What did the Economic Opportunity Act do?
  1. List two other Great Society programs:
  1. What is welfare?
  1. What is the purpose of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)?
  1. What was the most important Great Society program?
  1. How was the Great Society similar to the New Deal?
  1. What did critics complain about the Great Society:

b.