The Making of Modern Law:
Only Gale Provides a Newly Digitized Record of the ACLU's Fight for Equality
Comprised of never-before-digitized materials, this unique collection documents the ACLU’s legal battle to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in thirteen Southern states. This collection is an indispensable resource for understanding the complete history of the civil rights movement. Consisting of case files, correspondence, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, and more, this collection offers a primary source perspective on civil rights issues from voting rights to the dismantling of the Jim Crow system.
The ACLU's Southern Regional Office, which was founded after the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, used the provisions of the act, which made segregation in public accommodations unconstitutional, to address violations in the targeted areas of voters’ rights and racial discrimination. Its records offer researchers a unique view of the inner workings of the ACLU's regional offices and the organizations with which the ACLU collaborated with such as the NAACP.
The collection consists largely of case files but also contains a great deal of correspondence, memos, administrative files, personnel records, meeting minutes, and documents related to the office’s history that add depth and context to key legal decisions of the Civil Rights Movement.
The unique documents in this collection offer a new perspective for researchers and students to reevaluate narratives surrounding key areas of interdisiplinary twentieth century studies including U.S. social and legal history, American politics and government, African American history, southern studies, race studies, identity studies, Vietnam War and student protest, radicalism, and free speech.
Coverage of Key Cases:
Armour v. Nix (1979): Held that an “interdistrict remedy” to integrating schools is not appropriate.
Busbee v. Smith: This case presents the question of whether a congressional election may be scheduled for a date other than the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Clay v. The United States (1971): This involved famed boxer and conscientious objector, Muhammad Ali.
Washington v. Lee (1968): Held that the racial segregation of prison and jails in Alabama was unconstitutional.
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Additional Details
subjects covered
- Black Studies
- African-American Studies
- Gender & Women's Studies
- LGBTQ
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Law & Legal Studies
- Government
- Political Science & Diplomatic Studies
- U.S. History
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