Mr. Hammond's Social Studies Blog: September 2013

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Rubric for the Emmett Till Essay

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Thursday, September 5, 2013

A Great Resource

Look around in the link below for a lot of great resources about the Civil Rights Movement. There are lots of sources and documents on this link that will help you write your essay.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/index.html

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Example Body Paragraph - Emmett Till Essay

The history of Jim Crow was a significant factor that contributed to the impact of the Emmett Till murder. Emmett Till was murdered in the South, where for years Jim Crow laws had kept whites and blacks separate and unequal. At the time of Emmett Till’s murder, blacks in the South were routinely humiliated by Jim Crow laws that considered them to be less than human. The humiliation blacks felt at having to obey Jim Crow laws was a significant factor in making blacks outraged at the Emmett Till murder - they had had enough. One particularly humiliating Jim Crow law existed in Danville, Virginia. There, the government made a law that required blacks to move off the sidewalk to allow whites to pass by (Chicago Defender, 1915). This kind of law surely made many blacks angry. When Emmett Till was murdered, they were probably more likely to stand up and protest against laws such as this one. In Alabama, there was a law that said, “legislature shall never pass any law to authorize or legalize any marriage between any white person and a negro, or descendant of a negro” (Code of Alabama, 1923). Laws keeping blacks and whites from being together increased hostility between the two groups of people. Also, if the government is saying that a black man cannot be with a white woman, that might give justification to individuals who want to punish a black man such as Emmett Till for flirting with a white woman. Schools were also segregated in the South (Code of Alabama, 1923). Black students were given unequal resources, supplies and teachers compared to white students. Blacks did not have a fair chance to improve their lot in life because they did not receive a good education. When Emmett Till was murdered, that was like rubbing salt in the wound. The history of Jim Crow laws kept blacks and whites apart, and made blacks in the South angry and frustrated. When young Emmett was murdered, the pot boiled over, and all of the anger and frustration blacks felt at Jim Crow came rushing out into the streets in protest.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Example Introduction to Emmett Till Essay

The nation watched in horror as two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. We were glued to the TV sets not only because a tragic event had occurred, but also because we knew this event would alter the course of history. This was an event that would change us forever - an event so important, so impactful, that large decisions would be based off of it for years to come. This event, in other words, was pivotal. A pivotal event is one that is “of crucial importance in relation to the development of something else.” There were many moments that stand out as pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement. However, the murder of Emmett Till must surely rank as the most pivotal. Emmett Till’s murder sparked a movement that lasted for decades, and inspired great change - socially, economically, and politically. African Americans had been lynched before without causing a national outcry. There are many factors that contributed to making the murder of Emmett Till a pivotal moment in civil rights history, but the most significant factors that contributed to the impact of this event were the rise of the media, the aftermath of World War II, and the precedent of past civil rights actions.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Emmett Till Essay Resource Collection

Class of 2018, welcome to your social studies blog! Here I will post information and resources that will help you in social studies this year.

Below, there are links to resources and documents organized by category. These resources and documents will help you write your essay on Emmett Till.

Remember, the question you are answering in your essay is: Many people believe that the murder of Emmett Till was pivotal moment in civil rights history. African Americans had been lynched before without causing a national outcry; why did the of Emmett Till have such a significant impact on many Americans?

Legacy of Lynching