Political Shift
A result of the evolving position of the Democratic Party on race relations and other issues of interest to conservative Southerners
Strom Thurmond
Democratic governor who ran for president as a Dixiecrat because of the Democratic Party's alliance with African-Americans, eventually became a Republican
Dixiecrat Party
Southern Democrats who opposed President Truman's position on civil rights, chose Strom Thurmond as their national candidate for President in 1948
Filibuster
An action such as a prolonged speech which interrupts progress in a legislative assembly
Education Improvement Act (EIA) / Education Accountability Act (EAA)
Laws passed to make sure all children have an equal opportunity to learn, also seen as a way to help our economy by providing an educated workforce
Federalist Party
America's first major political party, wanted a strong federal government
Democratic-Republican Party
Opposition party of the Federalists, wanted a greater emphasis on states' rights and a weak federal government
Democratic Party
Democratic-Republican party became known as this political party, historically dominant party in the South
Republican Party
Party established in the mid-1800's to oppose the expansion of slavery to new territories
Harry Truman
Supported greater rights for African-Americans including the desegregation of the military and the end of poll taxes
Franklin Roosevelt
Democratic president who began to gain the support of African-Americans due to his New Deal programs
Richard Nixon
Republican president who appealed to Conservative whites with a promise to restore law and order during the Civil Rights movement
Ronald Reagan
Republican president who appealed to South Carolina due to his promise of low taxes and military buildup during the Cold War
John F. Kennedy / Lyndon Johnson
Democratic presidents who worked to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as a result many white Southern Democrats withdrew their support for the Democrats
Black Power Movement
African American movement that focused on gaining control of economic and political power to achieve equal rights by force in necessary. (Malcolm X)