Apentix/AP US History/Unit 8: Period 8 (1945-1980)/Question
AP US Historyhardmcq1 pt

Which of the following best explains why landmark civil rights legislation passed in the mid-1960s after decades of congressional resistance?

A.The southern states requested federal civil rights laws
B.A decade of highly visible protest, Cold War concerns about America's image abroad, and Johnson's landslide 1964 victory created both moral urgency and a working congressional majority
C.The Supreme Court began drafting legislation
D.Public support for segregation increased

Explanation

Core Concept

Televised brutality against peaceful protesters generated national pressure, while racial violence embarrassed the United States in its rivalry with the Soviet Union. Johnson's coattails produced the most liberal Congress since the New Deal, breaking the southern filibuster coalition.

Correct Answer

BA decade of highly visible protest, Cold War concerns about America's image abroad, and Johnson's landslide 1964 victory created both moral urgency and a working congressional majority

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