Core Question:
Did the textbook portrayal of President Eisenhower’s
stance on the civil rights movement evolve from
1966 to 2003?
Author: Mike Gozzo
School: Derby Middle School
District: Derby
Overview:
I compared excerpts from three American Nation textbooks on President Eisenhower’s stance on civil
rights pertaining to the 1957 integration of Central High School. I also documented what was
currently in the media at approximately the time of the publishing of each of the textbooks so students
may get a better idea of the possible reasons for the variations in the textbook accounts.
Document Summary:
Document 1 which is a 1966 version shows that President Eisenhower is opposed to government
involvement and believed that the U.S. Supreme Court set back progress in the south by 15 years.
Eisenhower later reversed himself when he had to send in federal troops in enforce integration.
Students should review this version and make note of how the author portrays Eisenhower in
document 1. Students should research events in the country at the approximate time of the resources
publication.
Document 2 which is a 1979 version shows is along the same lines as document 1 except replaces
negro with black. As with document 1, students should read carefully the author’s view of
Eisenhower’s position. Students should research events in the country at the approximate time of the
resources publication.
Document 3 which is a 2003 version shows Eisenhower willing to act and portrays him as a strong
supporter of civil rights and government intervention in these matters. After reading all three versions
students should formulate their position on Eisenhower. Students should research events in the
country at the approximate time the resource was published.
Procedure:
1. Comparison
TEXTBOOK SELECTION
President Eisenhower hoped to avoid federal involvement in these conflicts. Personally he thought real equality for
Negroes could not be obtained by government edict. “I am convinced that the Supreme Court decision set back
progress in the South at least fifteen years,” he remarked to one of his advisors. “The fellow who tries to tell me you can
do these things by force in just plain nuts.” But in 1957 events compelled him to act. That September the school board
of Little Rock, Arkansas, open Central High School to a handful of carefully picked Negro children. However, the
governor of the state, one Orval M. Faubus, called out the National Guard to prevent Negros from attending. Egged on
by the governor, mobs formed to taunt the children and their parents. Eisenhower could not ignore this direct flouting
of federal authority. He dispatched a thousand paratroopers to Little Rock and summoned 10,000 National Guardsmen
to federal duty.
SOURCE: Garraty, John A. The American Nation: A History of the United States. 1st ed. Harper & Row, Publishers 1966.
P. 830.
President Eisenhower thought real equality for blacks could not be obtained by government edit. “I am convinced that
the Supreme Court decision set back progress in the South at least fifteen years,” he remarked to one of his advisors .
“The fellow who tries to tell me you can do these things by force is just plain nuts.” In 1957 events compelled him to act.
That September the school board of Little Rock, Arkansas, open Central High School to a handful of carefully picked black
children. However, the governor of the state, Orval M. Faubus, called out the National Guard to prevent them from
attending. Unruly crowds taunted the children and their parents. Eisenhower could not ignore the direct flouting of
federal authority; he dispatched a thousand paratroopers to Little Rock and summoned 10,000 National Guardsmen to
federal duty.
SOURCE: Garraty, John A. The American Nation; A History of the United States. 4th ed. Harper & Row, Publishers 1979.
P. 748-749
Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out the National Guard in 1957 in order to Keep African American students from
attending all-white Central High School in Little Rock. President Eisenhower finally sent in federal troops because the
Arkansas governor was defying a federal law. Under their protection, black student entered Central High. Eisenhower
was the first President since Reconstruction to use armed federal troops in support of African American rights. The
action showed that the federal government could play a key role in protecting civil rights.
SOURCE: Davidson, James W. The American Nation: A History of the United States. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003. P 851.
DOCUMENT PACKET
Document 1
During the publishing of Document 1, the Civil Rights Movement is active
and well published in the press. Malcolm X has recently been
assassinated, Martin Luther King is making many speeches, and Bill Cosby
is an up and coming actor.
President Eisenhower hoped to avoid federal involvement in these conflicts.
Personally he thought real equality for Negroes could not be obtained by
government edict. “I am convinced that the Supreme Court decision set
back progress in the South at least fifteen years,” he remarked to one of his
advisors. “The fellow who tries to tell me you can do these things by force
in just plain nuts.” But in 1957 events compelled him to act. That
September the school board of Little Rock, Arkansas, open Central High
School to a handful of carefully picked Negro children. However, the
governor of the state, one Orval M. Faubus, called out the National Guard to
prevent Negros from attending. Egged on by the governor, mobs formed to
taunt the children and their parents. Eisenhower could not ignore this direct
flouting of federal authority. He dispatched a thousand paratroopers to Little
Rock and summoned 10,000 National Guardsmen to federal duty.
Vocabulary
federal: highest level of government
conflicts: disagreements
Supreme: highest level
National Guard: state military
Source: Excerpt from Garraty, John A. The American Nation: A History of
the United States. 1st ed. Harper & Row, Publishers 1966. P. 830.
Document 2
During the publishing of Document 2, the controversial Greensboro
Massacre was fresh in the public’s mind. Five protesters were killed. All of
the Klansmen and American Nazis put on trial were acquitted by an all-white
jury.
President Eisenhower thought real equality for blacks could not be obtained
by government edit. “I am convinced that the Supreme Court decision set
back progress in the South at least fifteen years,” he remarked to one of his
advisors. “The fellow who tries to tell me you can do these things by force is
just plain nuts.” In 1957 events compelled him to act. That September the
school board of Little Rock, Arkansas, open Central High School to a
handful of carefully picked black children. However, the governor of the
state, Orval M. Faubus, called out the National Guard to prevent them from
attending. Unruly crowds taunted the children and their parents.
Eisenhower could not ignore the direct flouting of federal authority; he
dispatched a thousand paratroopers to Little Rock and summoned 10,000
National Guardsmen to federal duty.
Vocabulary
federal: highest level of government
government: authority that runs a
country
Supreme: highest level
National Guard: state military
Source: Garraty, John A. The American Nation; A History of the United
States. 4th ed. Harper & Row, Publishers 1979. P. 748-749
Document 3
In recent memory of the publishing of document 3 are the Los Angeles race
riots following the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers after the
public beating of Rodney King.
Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out the National Guard in 1957 in
order to Keep African American students from attending all-white Central
High School in Little Rock. President Eisenhower finally sent in federal
troops because the Arkansas Governor was defying a federal law. Under
their protection, black student entered Central High. Eisenhower was the
first President since Reconstruction to use armed federal troops in support
of African American rights. The action showed that the federal government
could play a key role in protecting civil rights.
Vocabulary
Governor- chief executive of a
state
Reconstruction – rebuilding of
the US after the civil war.
Federal – highest level of
government
Source: Davidson, James W. The American Nation: A History of the United
States. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003. P
851.
Some of the language and phrasing in these documents have been
modified from the originals.
CAPTURE SHEET
Did the textbook portrayal of
President Eisenhower’s stance on the
civil rights movement evolve from
1966 to 2003?