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Example research essay topic: Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Movement - 1,580 words

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I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners, will then be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream Martin Luther King Jr. This quote is from Kings most famous speech that was given in our nations capital during the civil rights movement of the 50 s and 60 s. It explains the inequality that our nation has shown in the past, and it is an ambassador for civil rights. Civil rights has been a major issue that has plagued the constitution since its ratification in 1787. There have been many civil rights cases that have undergone judicial review to determine the constitutionality of these issues.

This paper will look at how these rulings have changed laws, and have changed lifestyles for people across the country. Such issues include slavery, voting, segregation, and integration. The preamble of the Declaration of Independence reads, All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, but is it interpreted that everyone should be treated equally? This question has been asked over and over again, and the answer has been yes. The question that is asked next is how do we go about achieving equality for everyone without restricting someone elses civil rights? The reason that this nation was formed was to give the people more rights, and these rights are protected in the constitution.

The constitution is made up of twenty-seven amendments and most of them restrict the government from taking away the rights of its people. After this country was formed and the constitution was drafted the issue of slavery arose and became the nations biggest dispute and almost ended this young diversified nation. The first argument over slavery dealt with representation in government. The southern states, which were highly populated with slaves, wanted the slaves to be counted in the census so they could get more representation in Washington, but the northern states said no because slaves cant vote and that would lessen their representation. They finally came up the three-fifths compromise. This stated that all free persons should be counted, and so should three-fifths of all other persons.

The next subject that was in question was which states would be free states and which states would be slave states. During the dispute Dred Scott took his case to the Supreme Court in order to win his freedom. The Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that Dred Scott was still a slave. After the Dred Scott decision the law that got rid of slavery in the Midwest was declared unconstitutional. This helped to increase friction between the North and South. The southern states still werent satisfied so they seceded from the union.

The war that would follow next claimed the lives of more Americans than all of the other wars combined. Abraham Lincoln finally ended slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, on January 1, 1863. This law greatly influenced the Norths victory in the war. This war is a perfect example of how important civil rights are to this country and its people.

It really reflects on what our founding fathers were thinking when they came up with a grand design of our government. For almost one hundred years after the Civil War during the reconstruction period the country remained segregated. The result of the decision by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) started segregation and the separate but equal mentality. It took a step in the wrong direction in order to achieve true equality for everyone. With the new segregation laws it required blacks to build their own schools and public facilities.

During this period many African-Americans experienced severe racial discrimination and harassment. After slavery was abolished many argued that voting was also a civil right and that race shouldnt be the deciding factor on who gets to vote and who doesnt. In 1870 the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. This amendment ended racial suffrage, and gave all males the right to vote. Some states, in order to keep African-Americans from voting, added a poll tax. Next women started to petition for their right to vote.

This process took a long time because no women, throughout history, ever had anything to do with politics. Finally in 1920 women were given the right to vote with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment. The next voting amendment that was passed was the Twenty-fourth Amendment. This eradicated state poll taxes giving poor people the chance to vote. The final voting law came in 1970, this gave persons eighteen and over the right to participate in voting. In the early 1900 s civil rights activist groups started forming.

These groups include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and later came Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee. The NAACP has led the charge for civil rights through court cases challenging the Jim Crow laws, which violated the rights of African-Americans. With the help of the NAACP and the refusal of Rosa Parks to give up her seat on the bus the first successful boycott was accomplished. During the middle of the nineteenth century people started questioning the idea of segregation and pushed for integration. This was the beginning of the Civil Rights movement.

In 1954 the Supreme Court heard the case of Brown v. Board of Education. In this case Oliver Brown, the father of an elementary student, brought a case against the Kansas Board of Education. He stated that by segregating schools his child was getting unequal educational opportunities. The Supreme Court overruled the previous decision of Plessy v. Ferguson, and ruled in favor of Brown.

This ended segregation in schools and called for integration. It was the first positive step for the Civil Rights Movement. Some of the great thinkers of the time made significant contributions to the fight against segregation. Some of the major influences include Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr. , and John F.

Kennedy. As President, John F. Kennedy helped push for integration and equality. During a nationally televised address J. F. K told his fellow Americans: We are confronted primarily with a moral issue.

It is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution. The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise. Kennedy was also a major influence in civil rights legislation. After his assassination the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. This made discrimination illegal in all public places, and paved the way for integration in schools.

Martin Luther King Jr. was probably the most influential figure throughout the movement. He made his way throughout the south preaching for civil rights. He led numerous marches and protests on the subject. In 1963 he led over 200, 000 civil rights supporters to Washington, where he gave his most famous speech. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial his golden words rang out, I have a dream.

King expressed his ideals and passions for equality through his speeches. At one of the demonstrations King showed his support for the constitution by saying: We march in the name of the Constitution, knowing that the Constitution is on our side. The right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for the redress of grievances shall not be abridged. Thats the First Amendment. Since the end of the Civil Rights Movement there has been a lot of civil rights legislation to try to preserve the individuals rights. With the Civil Rights Act of 1968, congress tried to solve the problem of discrimination dealing with buying and renting of housing.

It prohibits the denial to sell or rent any type of housing due to race, religion, disability, or sex. In 1988 the act was strengthened with the additional power the justice department was given to prosecute violators of the law. Affirmative action was also created to provide a solution for discrimination in employment. Affirmative action requires employers to hire people based on who deserves the job, and prohibits discrimination. It states that the work force has to represent the population as far as races and gender are concerned.

This law has given minorities more opportunities in the working world, and it has helped eliminate discrimination in the work place. Disputes over civil rights date back to the formation of our country. Our founding fathers drafted the Bill of Rights and the other amendments into the constitution to preserve and protect the civil rights of the citizens from the majority and the government. Lawmakers have passed legislation to end slavery, give voting rights, end segregation, and eliminate discrimination. No longer do we have to live in an environment where the future of Americans depends on someone elses opinion, and someone elses rules. Works Cited The Declaration of Independence.

U. S. Government Printing Office, SSOP Washington, DC 20402 - 9328 McClenaghan, William Magruders American Government. Prentice Hall, 1997, 46. Dred Scott, web 12 - 5 - 00. The World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc, 1990, Vol. 6, pg 251.

Center for Civic Education. We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. Center for Civic Education 1995. Brown v. Board of Education. web 12 - 5 - 00.


Free research essays on topics related to: martin luther king jr, john f kennedy, board of education, civil rights act, civil rights movement

Research essay sample on Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Movement

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