An engaging range of period texts and theme books for AS and A Level history. This book examines the theme of Civil Rights in America between 1865 and 1980. The long struggle for black equality and full citizenship is traced from the period of reconstruction after the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The rights of other minority groups such as Native Americans, Chicanos and Asian Americans are also given full consideration, as is the 'rights revolution' of the Cold War period, which involved the campaign for women's rights and the development of Gay rights. Drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary sources, Ron Field fully explores contemporary issues and offers a balanced and informative analysis of one of the most challenging periods in American history.

Table of Contents

1. The Founding Fathers and civil rights; 2. Reconstruction; 3. Return of white supremacy; 4. Jim Crow; 5. Early black protest; 6. Impact of war; 7. Labour relations; 8. The Civil Rights Movement; 9. Other minority groups; conclusions.