Fort Madison, Iowa
CONNOR RIORDAN
Basic History
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Newsletter from the NAACP
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National Association of the Advancement of Colored People
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20 years after Montgomery Bus Boycott
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April 6, 1970 at Fort Madison, Iowa.
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Richard Nixon was in office
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Lots of racism in the air
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Only eight years before, first black student in a public University
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JFK was assassinated in 1963
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Turmoil
Huge Opposition
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Ku Klux Klan
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White Supremacist’s City Councils sprung up
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Supported man who beat a man supported by NAACP for governor
Due to the Brown v. Board of Education
Autherine Lucy nearly lynched
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She tried to enroll in the University of Alabama.
John F. Kennedy
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Voting of African-Americans shot up 20% in 1966
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Kennedy’s presidency outlawed public discrimination.
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Northern people were starting to really get on board about equality.
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MLK switched from supporting Nixon to Kennedy.
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Arrested for a Sit-in and Kennedy got him out of it.
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Black vote ended up being pivotal in the swing states.
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Ended up being reluctant to get involved in issues.
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A speech In 1963 changed America’s mind on public discrimination
Lyndon B. Johnson
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Was known as a huge racist but civil rights hero
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Right before this letter happened
Signed the Civil Rights Act
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Most influential civil rights law since the reconstruction period
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The Act “prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex or national origin, in public places, provided for the
integration of schools and other public facilities, and made
employment discrimination illegal.”
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Huge positive strives in the right direction.
Riots
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Major Riots in heavy populated cities from 1964-1968
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Resulted in many Northern whites not wanting to help
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They shook away from that mentality
This all resulted in the election of Nixon
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Known to not help the disadvantaged
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They should help themselves
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Set African-Americans back
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This is what all leads up to this letter.
Contents of the Letter
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Doubts that the democratic system was failing them
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Judge G. Harold Carswell was up for election
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Strong stance against African-Americans
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Would regress all the things they have built
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End result was 51-45 he was not elected
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Maintained their faith in the system
A huge deal that progressed their rights.
Judge G. Harold Carswell
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A southern judge with a constructionist view toward the
Constitution.
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Exactly what Nixon wanted
Was known to be racist
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Against the rise of African-Americans
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Ruled in favor of his barber once saying he could deny blacks entry.
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Charged with bias against blacks
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Was not elected to the satisfaction of the NAACP.
Rhetorical
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Ethos- NAACP
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Consonance to bring attention to the three most important senators
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Credible source
“sagacious Senators Birch E. Bayh of Indiana and Edward Broke of
Massachusetts, Senator Charles Percy of Illinois struck at the heart of the
issue.” (NAACP)
Also shows logos for their knowledge of the subject
Not One Sided
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They give credit where credit is due
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First say they don’t have hope in democracy, then go back on that.
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“best system devised by man”
They show Nixon quote blasting Senate.
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Ethos
Proves their point that he was in the wrong
Furthers Logos again
Conclusion
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Their argument is very well done and thorough with evidence.
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They make points and counterpoints so they are not one sided.
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Use quotes to degrade opposition.
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Not many rhetorical devices but fact and credibility.
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Gets the point across
Works Cited

American Experience: TV's most-watched history series. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 14, 2015.
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The Downfall Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2015.

This Day in History: President Lyndon B. Johnson Signed the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2015.