Civil Rights Act Of 1964 Dbq Essay

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LBJ and The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Many people remember Lyndon B. Johnson as the 36th president of the United States and because of his famous 1964 civil rights act that he signed. Many people believe different things about his reasoning toward it, people speculate that he did it for political reasons while, others think it was for principle reasons, but which one is it? I personally believe that he did it for principle reasons for three reasons, they are because he had helped kids in Texas who were discriminated a lot, he was no longer tied to the south and because he was willing to give up the election for civil rights.
My first reason why he desperately wanted the civil rights act in place was for the kids he taught in Welhausen Elementary school. Johnson, after graduating from college, taught Mexican American students in Welhausen Elementary school in Texas (Doc A). These kids were fifth through seventh grade students that didn’t speak English that well, “My students …show more content…

Roy Wilkins, an important African-American civil rights leader who worked with John F. Kennedy asked why it had taken Lyndon B. Johnson so long to act upon the civil rights act and Johnson responded by quoting one of MLK’s speeches stating “Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last”(Dallek E). Johnson was describing himself as being set free from the southern political bonds and could finally set away all the political pressure and could now focus on national interests and moral concerns. Basically, he didn’t have to listen to the south and could finally act on the civil rights act for personal or principle reasons. He freely expressed his feeling on the civil rights act and what he believed should of been done. He was always pressured by the south not to do anything with the civil rights act and now, nobody was there to stop

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