10th American History10th American History Unit V- A Nation Facing Unit V- A Nation Facing

ChallengesChallenges

Chapter 18 Section 3Chapter 18 Section 3Voting RightsVoting Rights

Voting RightsVoting RightsThe Main Idea

In the 1960s, African Americans gained voting rights and political power in the South, but only after a bitter and

hard-fought struggle.

Reading Focus• What methods did civil rights workers use to gain voting rights

for African Americans in the South? • How did African American political organizing become a national

issue?• What events led to passage of the Voting Rights Act?

Right to Vote, The (01:23) Right to Vote, The (01:23)

“…Wait a minute … Somebody has gotta keep this thing on the track!”

S.N.C.C.S.N.C.C. In October, 1960, students In October, 1960, students

involved in the sit-ins held a involved in the sit-ins held a conference and established conference and established the Student Nonviolent the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The organization (SNCC). The organization adopted the Gandhian theory adopted the Gandhian theory of nonviolent direct action. of nonviolent direct action.

They participated in the They participated in the Freedom RidesFreedom Rides during 1961, during 1961, and the and the March on March on WashingtonWashington in 1963. Also in 1963. Also Freedom SchoolsFreedom Schools and later and later “Black Power”“Black Power”

Leading figures in the Leading figures in the organization included Ella J. organization included Ella J. Baker, Robert Moses, Marion Baker, Robert Moses, Marion Barry, James Lawson, Charles Barry, James Lawson, Charles McDew, James Forman and McDew, James Forman and John Lewis. John Lewis.

Gaining Voting Rights for African Gaining Voting Rights for African Americans Americans in the Southin the South

Voting rights for African Americans were achieved at great human cost and sacrifice.

President Kennedy was worried about the violent reactions to the nonviolent methods of the civil rights movement. Attorney General Robert Kennedy urged SNCC leaders

to focus on voter registration rather than on protests. He promised that the federal government would

protect civil rights workers if they focused on voter registration.

The Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed the practice of taxing citizens to vote.

Hundreds of people volunteered to spend their summers registering African Americans to vote.

Gaining Voting RightsGaining Voting RightsRegistering VotersRegistering Voters

SNCC, CORE, and other SNCC, CORE, and other groups founded the groups founded the Voter Voter Education ProjectEducation Project (VEP) (VEP) to register southern African to register southern African Americans to vote.Americans to vote.

Opposition to African Opposition to African American suffrage was American suffrage was great.great.

Mississippi was particularly Mississippi was particularly hard—VEP workers lived in hard—VEP workers lived in daily fear for their safety.daily fear for their safety.

VEP was a success—by VEP was a success—by 1964 they had registered 1964 they had registered more than a half million more than a half million more African American more African American voters.voters.

Twenty-fourth Twenty-fourth AmendmentAmendment

Congress passed the Congress passed the Twenty-fourth Amendment Twenty-fourth Amendment in August 1962.in August 1962.

The amendment banned The amendment banned states from taxing citizens states from taxing citizens to vote—for example, poll to vote—for example, poll taxes.taxes.

It applied only to elections It applied only to elections for president or Congress.for president or Congress.

Gaining Voting RightsGaining Voting RightsFreedom SummerFreedom Summer

Hundreds of college Hundreds of college students volunteered to students volunteered to spend the summer spend the summer registering African registering African Americans to vote.Americans to vote.

The project was called The project was called Freedom SummerFreedom Summer..

Most of the trainers were Most of the trainers were from poor, southern African from poor, southern African American families.American families.

Most of the volunteers were Most of the volunteers were white, northern, and upper white, northern, and upper middle class.middle class.

Volunteers registered Volunteers registered voters or taught at summer voters or taught at summer schools.schools.

Crisis in MississippiCrisis in Mississippi Andrew Goodman, a Andrew Goodman, a

Freedom Summer Freedom Summer volunteer, went missing volunteer, went missing on June 21, 1964.on June 21, 1964.

Goodman and two CORE Goodman and two CORE workers had gone to workers had gone to inspect a church that had inspect a church that had recently been bombed.recently been bombed.

President Johnson ordered President Johnson ordered a massive hunt for the a massive hunt for the three men. Their bodies three men. Their bodies were discovered near were discovered near Philadelphia, Mississippi.Philadelphia, Mississippi.

21 suspects were tried in 21 suspects were tried in federal court for violating federal court for violating civil rights laws.civil rights laws.

The Summer of 1964: "Freedom The Summer of 1964: "Freedom Summer" and the Mississippi Summer Summer" and the Mississippi Summer

Project (03:31)Project (03:31)

The Court Trial Following the Murders The Court Trial Following the Murders (03:28) (03:28)

The Impact of the Workers' Disappearance on Civil The Impact of the Workers' Disappearance on Civil Rights Efforts (01:15) Rights Efforts (01:15)

The Results of Project The Results of Project Freedom SummerFreedom Summer

Organizers considered Mississippi’s Freedom Summer project a success.

The Freedom Schools taught 3,000 students.

More than 17,000 African Americans in Mississippi applied to vote.

State elections officials accepted only about 1,600 of the 17,000 applications.

This helped show that a federal law was needed to secure voting rights for African Americans.

How did African American How did African American political organizing become a political organizing become a

national issue?national issue?Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders wanted to help President Johnson defeat Republican Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election.

These leaders agreed to suspend their protests until after election day.

SNCC leaders refused, saying they wanted to protest segregation within the Democratic Party.

SNCC helped form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. They elected sixty-eight delegates to the Democratic National Convention and asked to be seated instead of the all-white delegation sent by the state’s Democratic Party.

Gaining Voting RightsGaining Voting Rights What method did civil rights workers use to What method did civil rights workers use to

gain voting rights for African Americans in the gain voting rights for African Americans in the South?South?

RecallRecall – What was the purpose of the Voter – What was the purpose of the Voter Education Project?Education Project?

Make InferencesMake Inferences – Why had poll taxes been – Why had poll taxes been considered a legal means to prevent African considered a legal means to prevent African Americans from voting?Americans from voting?

ElaborateElaborate – In what ways did Mississippi – In what ways did Mississippi present the greatest challenge to the VEP present the greatest challenge to the VEP workers?workers?

Gaining Voting RightsGaining Voting RightsExplainExplain – What was Freedom – What was Freedom

Summer?Summer?Make InferencesMake Inferences – Why do – Why do

you think that many of the you think that many of the Freedom Summer volunteers Freedom Summer volunteers were mainly upper middle were mainly upper middle class?class?

Political OrganizingPolitical OrganizingFannie Lou Hamer told the convention’s credentials committee why the MFDP group should represent Mississippi.

President Johnson offered a compromise—two members of the MFDP delegation would be seated and the rest would be non-seated “guests” of the convention.

The NAACP and SCLC supported the compromise. SNCC and the MFDP rejected the compromise.

The MFDP’s challenge failed in the end. It also helped widen a split that was developing in the civil rights movement.

Fannie Lou HamerFannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer, known Fannie Lou Hamer, known

as the lady who was "sick as the lady who was "sick and tired of being sick and and tired of being sick and tired." tired."

Hamer co-founded the Hamer co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Democratic Party (MFDP).

In 1964, the MDFP In 1964, the MDFP challenged the all-white challenged the all-white Mississippi delegation to Mississippi delegation to the Democratic National the Democratic National Convention. Convention.

Hamer spoke in front of Hamer spoke in front of the Credentials Committee the Credentials Committee in a televised proceeding in a televised proceeding that reached millions of that reached millions of viewers. She told the viewers. She told the committee how African-committee how African-Americans in many states Americans in many states across the country were across the country were prevented from voting prevented from voting through illegal tests, taxes through illegal tests, taxes and intimidation. and intimidation.

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Mississippi Freedom Democratic PartyParty

It was organized by black and It was organized by black and white Mississippians, with white Mississippians, with assistance from the Student assistance from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to win seats at the Committee, to win seats at the 1964 Democratic National 1964 Democratic National Convention for a slate of Convention for a slate of delegates elected by delegates elected by disenfranchised black disenfranchised black Mississippians and white Mississippians and white sympathizers.sympathizers.

It ultimately failed, but was It ultimately failed, but was said to succeed in dramatizing said to succeed in dramatizing the violence and injustice by the violence and injustice by which they claimed the which they claimed the white white power structurepower structure governed governed Mississippi. Mississippi.

Political OrganizingPolitical Organizing How did African American political How did African American political

organizing become a national issue?organizing become a national issue? IdentifyIdentify – Who was Fannie Lou Hamer? – Who was Fannie Lou Hamer? SummarizeSummarize – How was the matter of – How was the matter of

the Mississippi Freedom Democratic the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party settled?Party settled?

Draw ConclusionsDraw Conclusions – In what way was – In what way was the MFDP successful and in what way the MFDP successful and in what way was it unsuccessful?was it unsuccessful?

Political OrganizingPolitical Organizing RecallRecall – How did Fannie Lou – How did Fannie Lou

Hamer’s speech affect President Hamer’s speech affect President Johnson?Johnson?

AnalyzeAnalyze – What did Fannie Lou – What did Fannie Lou Mamer mean when she said that Mamer mean when she said that African Americans should stop African Americans should stop playing the game of token playing the game of token recognition?recognition?

The Voting Rights ActThe Voting Rights ActSelma Campaign• King organized

marches in Selma, Alabama, to gain voting rights for African Americans.

• King and many other marchers were jailed.

• Police attacked a march in Marion.

• King announced a four-day march from Selma to Montgomery.

Selma March

• 600 African Americans began the 54-mile march.

• City and state police blocked their way out of Selma.

• TV cameras captured the police using clubs, chains, and electric cattle prods on the marchers.

Voting Rights Act• President

Johnson asked for and received a tough voting rights law.

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed in Congress with large majorities.

• Proved to be one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation ever passed.

March to Freedom (04:08)March to Freedom (04:08)

The Voting Rights ActThe Voting Rights Act What events led to the passage of the What events led to the passage of the

Voting Rights Act?Voting Rights Act? RecallRecall – What issue replaced the issue – What issue replaced the issue

of public accommodations in the civil of public accommodations in the civil rights movement?rights movement?

DescribeDescribe – What was the purpose of – What was the purpose of the Selma campaign?the Selma campaign?

Draw ConclusionsDraw Conclusions – Do you think the – Do you think the Selma campaign helped or hurt the Selma campaign helped or hurt the civil rights movement?civil rights movement?