1. Mt8: The Civil Rights Movement
LT#1: Explain the evolution/development of the early civil rights movement

2. What are civil rights?
Definitions:
Why are we talking about this?
"Civil rights" are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and to be free from unfair treatment or "discrimination”
Discrimination – unfair treatment based on race, religion, sex, age, and/or sexual preference
There have been many times in America’s history that groups of people have been unfairly treated and had their civil rights violated
Violations of civil rights are still happening today

3. Who has civil rights?
According to the law today:
Examples:
Everyone living in the US, regardless of citizenship status, must receive equal treatment under the law.  All people, both citizens and non- citizens alike, are entitled to have civil rights
Right to vote
Freedom of speech
Freedom of Religion
Right to protest
Right to an education
Right to privacy
Rights of accused
Speedy trial, fair trial

4. What was the Civil Rights movement?
A movement/effort to end racial inequality/discrimination in America
Started in the 1920’s but really gained momentum (attention) during the 1960’s
Main focus was on African Americans
Influenced Latino, Native American and women
Minorities had slowly been gaining access to rights denied to them since slave times, but not equal rights

5. The movement to get civil rights starts

6. Why was a movement to get civil rights needed?
During various different time periods of American history:
Examples:
“Black people” were slaves
“Indians, black people, Asian people, Mexican people were seen as inferior (lower than) Caucasians (whites)
Women were treated as property and had less rights then men
Slaves
Only white men could vote, own land, work
Segregation- not allowed to enter certain businesses, use certain areas of the city
Mistreatment by police and government officials

7. Dred Scott v. Sandford 1857
First real fight for equal rights by a person of African decent (person from Africa)
African Americans were brought to America primarily to be a source of free labor
Dred Scott was a slave
His owner took him to a state that had abolished slavery (Slavery was not legal)
He thought he should be free since he was living in a “free state”
He sued his owner and the case went to the supreme court (highest court in the USA = Dred Scott v. Sandford
Supreme court ruled against him
Said African Americans were not Citizens = no rights
The court ruled against him: " We think they [people of African ancestry] are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States " — Chief Justice Roger

8. Amendments after the Civil War
After the civil war (1864) 3 new amendments/changes were added to the constitution
13th amendment
No one could be a slave
14th amendment
All people born in the USA are citizens
Everyone (minorities/colored people) are entitled to all rights
15th amendment
All males over 21 have the right to vote regardless of race, or color of skin

9. Jim Crow Laws
Caucasian Americans were not ready to fully integrate/mix themselves with African Americans so they created “Jim Crow Laws”
Jim Crow laws were laws meant to keep “whites” and “Colored” separate
Schools (white school/black school)
Transportation (Trains, buses, cars) (white area/black area)
Restaurants (white only/black only)
Public Restrooms (white only/black only
Laws to keep them from voting( test before being able to vote)

10. Plessy v. Ferguson 1896
Plessy was 7/8 Caucasian and 1/8 African America which meant he was not “100% white so considered African American”
Plessy challenged this idea and attempted to ride in the “white only” railroad car
He was arrested for being African American in the “white only car”
His case went all the way to the Supreme court
He argued that his rights were violated (14th amendment)
The supreme court ruled against him
The Plessy decision set the precedent/idea that "separate" facilities/places for blacks and whites were constitutional (ok by the law) as long as they were “equal.”
Separate but equal

11. Questions What are civil rights? Who has civil rights?
What was/is a civil rights movement? Why was one needed?
Why did Dred Scott take a case to the supreme court?
What was the decisions of Dred Scott vs. Sanford?
What does amendment 14 guarantee for people?
What were Jim Crow Laws?
What did Plessy vs. Ferguson create?