Emma Nayden American Studies: American Experience Unit 1: Modern Civil Rights Movement (1950s and 1960s) Modern Civil Rights Movement: Why does George Wallace feel so strongly on why segregation should continue? Did he have any experiences that led him to have these feelings? George Wallace was a passionate believer in segregation and would do anything to fight for it. In 1964, he proposed a forceful speech based on his reactions to the passing of the Civil Rights Act. He saw the passing of the Civil Rights Act as a risk to the social and political rights of the American people. He viewed the signing of the Civil Rights Act as a cruel action imposed by the government and a threat to not only himself but the people around him. While disagreeing …show more content…
In 1958, George Wallace lost his first election to be governor of Alabama. Although, in 1962 he won his bid to be governor by guaranteeing to, "lead the fight against integration of schools and other public facilities in Alabama." In 1963, Democrat, and newly elected governor of Alabama, George Wallace stood up to perform his Inaugural Address. Many of his supporters flooded and overcrowded the streets in Montgomery, Alabama. It was reported that black citizens were not allowed to attend this event. His supporters were wearing white flowers to display their support and commitment to white supremacy. During his address he plainly announces, “This nation was never meant to be a unit of one but a unit of the many, that is the exact reason our freedom-loving forefathers established the states, so as to divide the rights and powers among the many states, insuring that no central power could gain master control.”George Wallace did not understand or see any benefits towards fulfilling a change that was threatening to him. His perspective of the Civil Rights Movement was that the people, were never meant to be together as one but they were meant to split up the power to all of the states. He honestly was convince that, “If we amalgamate into the one unit as advocated by the communist philosophers, then the enrichment of our lives, the freedom for our development, is gone forever.” George Wallace openly felt threatened by the idea of desegregating. He strived to prove to everyone that states were created and people were separated for a reason. He repeated that the reason was not in fact to come together as one unit. His opinion of The Civil Rights Movement was nothing but a terrifying threat that negatively affected the freedom of himself and the people. It was evidently revealed that George Wallace was willing to fight for his beliefs whether he stood alone or with a group of