U.S. historian William H. Chafe has called the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s "the most significant social movement in all of American history." This subject allows students to explore in detail the central protests of this important movement. Our chronology will largely concentrate on events between the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the 1968 Poor Peoples' Campaign. As they examine the various protests, students explore how a mass movement mobilizes successfully. In particular, they will explore the remarkable story of how an allegedly politically feeble and dependent racial minority was able to secure substantial racial change from a powerful white majority. They will also assess the key role of Martin Luther King. In both their assignments, third year students will be expected to outline an argument which is more sustained, referencing which is more accomplished, and to utilize a wider range of sources than second year students.

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