>> you are watching american history tv. twitter. on >> each week american history tv visits museums and historic basis. of next week visit the library of congress on capitol hill for an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the civil rights act of 19 to four. >> good morning. i am the african-american history specialist for the manuscript division of the library of congress and one of the curators for the library exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights act of 1954 entitled the civil rights act of 1964, a long struggle for freedom. the exhibit takes its subtitle from the speech that president

lyndon johnson read before the nation upon the signing of the act on july 2, 1964. this is the copy that was put into the teleprompter. >> my fellow americans, i'm

about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964. i want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law means to every american. 188 years ago this week, a small band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom. >> he did six drafts of the speech, and then he added extemporaneously the word long, to indicate the many decades, really centuries in the slow progression towards realizing civil rights. this bill began as a culmination of the struggles of decades of struggles of african-americans, but it encompassed all americans, it encompassed everyone regardless of race, color, sex or national origin. it was really about the ongoing struggle in this country to achieve that more perfect union. >> coming up next on american history tv, texas tech university history professor sarah keyes talks about her current book project on the oregon trail. she talks about the threats people based on the trail. we interviewed the professor at the western history

association's annual conference in portland, oregon, in october. this is about 20 minutes. >> what led to your work on the oregon trail? the u.s. constitution did not ask me mention slavery, but there are at least three references to slavery in the document. the first is the 3/5 compromise. you andere counted as the person for purposes of frustrating seats in the house of representatives. thereby increasing the power of the slave states and congress.

the constitution also included a fugitive slave laws. returnused to ensure the of runaway slaves. in addition, the u.s. constitution prohibited the import slaves after 1808. but the language did not refer to african. clausesusion of these in the nation's founding document is a testament to economic and political influence. moving to related document, this is the contract dust between thomas jefferson and james madison were the sale of the slave john freeman area jefferson freed him from william baker in maryland and eight or. he wouldndition that

be set free after 11 years of service. he returned unsold freeman to james madison. after madison friedman did receive his freedom. the white house service. moving into the segregation era as the founding document of the naacp.

disenfranchised and interracial this flag was first flown in 1920 outside the unit orders. -- headquarters. it marked every time a person was lynched. they also publish the pamphlet 30 years of lynching. and the advertisement that the naacp to go to 1922 in the new

york times and the atlanta journal, tuition entitled the adme of america a full-page in which they listed the number of lynching to date in 1922. then also in the segregation era a philip've included randolph who -- his primary focus was job opportunities. in 1925 the organize the brotherhood of carpenters after and favorableggle new labor legislation he was able to negotiate a bargaining pullmant with the palace car company it was the first such agreement between a

black union in a major american company. launched him and the national civil rights leader. also the brotherhood provided black labor with a solid foundation on which to challenge racial discrimination. the members of the union were also instrumental in supporting his various mass demonstrations and movements with both their labor and their money. in the world war ii in postwar years section, we focus on the tearing down of racial barriers in a variety of areas that served as building blocks for the full scale assault against

segregation in the 1950's and 1960's. famoust with randolph's march that didn't happen in 1941. he threatened to nasa hundred thousand african-americans on there was anless effort made by the roosevelt include theon to hiring of african-americans and independents in the national defense industry. franklin roosevelt issued executive order 88 banning discrimination and defense industries. appointmentn practices committee to monitor

hiring client. legal strategyng segregation culminated in the brown versus the only decision in 19 54. we have here representing the case one of the original briefs for the case. this is for the argument in inring that occurred december 1952. then featured in this case are items from the reservoir collection. it's on a ten-year loan from the foundation to the library.

center thesee instructions that rosa parks problemshelp alleviate that were occurring between drivers and riders that were support the help montgomery bus boycott. boardarks served on the of the montgomery improvement toociation which established direct the boycott for about a month she served as a dispatcher and it was her job calls from writers looking for pickups. and to coordinate those with the drivers of private cars and station wagons. we also have from the rosa parks

theection is date on from montgomery fair department store to date but for 1955. keep notesed it to about the bus boycott in 1956. in the state that we have the list of drivers and addresses of naacp not members. cases to the court witnesses that appeared in the court cases. into civill proceed section, this1964 section formed the heart of the exhibit.

supplied the rotunda of the capital. it covers the. to july 2 1964. passage the civil rights will in the house the passage of the bill in the senate, and president johnson signing the bill into law in july 19 six four. this section is organized around a series of letters written between the executive director and the executive director of the naacp.

this is a drawing from howard brody who was a renowned world war ii combat illustrator. he worked as a courtroom artist for cbs news. cameras and sketch pads were chamberrom the senate when the debate was occurring. into theody to go chamber, memorize what he saw and then go out and sketch it. this particular sketchy gives the manyss-section of americans that afforded the passage of this law that came every day to visual in the gallery. we have members of the clergy can see nuns. white.n all black and

subtitleit takes its from the speech that president nation read before the on live television on the evening of july the second 1964. this is the copy that was put into the teleprompter. >> my fellow americans, i'm about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964. i want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law mean to every american. week, smallo this band of valiant men began long struggle for freedom. >> he did six drafts of the speech and then he added to

bring his sling the word long. decadecated the many centuries in the slow progression towards real-life civil rights. as a combination of the struggles of decades of african-americans, when it was passed it encompassed all americans. it encompassed everyone regardless of race color sex or it's reallygin, about the ongoing struggle in the country to achieve a more perfect union. >> we can understand how this all happened. but it cannot continue. constitution, the foundation

of our republic the principles of our freedom for visit. morality prevents it. the law i will sign tonight for visit. right high robert. i'm here to introduce you to the personalities of the civil rights act. when the people are going to point out is how it met. he was the chair of the house ways committee. before a bill can be debated by the house committee has set a resolution. the reason for that is the house is something they can't have a free-form thing. actas not in favor of the

when he gets specifically with civil rights bill came through is would retire home to his farm in virginia. at this time because the civil rights act was advocated or by president johnson, as a tribute to the slain president kennedy he was under considerable pressure to do something. you know that he got committee will read it so he added nothing itthe amendment bill protects against employment discrimination and he added sex category. he felt that we can ability wouldn't past. it actually did ask and so it outlaws employment discrimination by businesses on the basis of race color religion sex and national origin area it created the equal employment opportunity commission. i also want to point out another keep their.

once the bill arrives in the senate it is subject to a filibuster. the leader of the democrats richard russell. interesting thing about him is he actually was lyndon johnson mentor. wall, youppear on the will see that although he was a mentor, by the time johnson was their relationship but obviously slayed. led filibuster against the civil rights act. the democrats knew that they could not break the filibuster ofhout enlisting the support the republicans. to enlist the support of the republicans, they had to go to

this man, the senate minority they needed him and his republican to vote in favor of closure to end the filibuster and ultimately pass the legislation. after adding some he threw to title vii his support hundred 64 civil rights act. he ultimately pass the act. act, it working on the is point out the contact in the social history of the time area and people were dissatisfied. street you have more militant groups advocating for stronger measures is the civil rights. particularly mathematics gave his own suit.

the comic depicts you are trying to shelter political support for the civil rights thatagainst the backlash was coming out from extremist demonstrations on the street. talking about the content of the 64 civil rights act, starting with voting rights in title i this is important because following the reconstruction many states would implement title ii was a huge one of yours.

you had segregated lunch counters and didn't have sit in. 1875,s significant as in nervously was a decision to segregate public accommodation. here's title iii. it allows the justice department todirectly intervene

segregate facilities that are operated by the government. here it finally appears in the 64 civil rights act. desegregation of public education. here again is empowering government to directly seek desegregation of schools. was very this controversial because many of the state trying to maintain control of the schools and keep them segregated. this empowered the federal government to take action. title v extends civil rights commission which is able to investigate denials of these protection. of course a lot of programs

received federal support. might ask yourself why should the program received federal support if it was actually discriminating in the administration of the program? >> with title vi does is allow the federal government to cut off aid federally funded programs that discriminate on the basis of race color or national origin. he removed to title vii. title vii outlaws discrimination by businesses on the basis of race color origin sachsen national origin.

he created equal employment opportunity commission. title empowers the census bureau to collect voting to take based on race color and national origin. ix permit the united this isntervene particularly important because if the case is removed to that man's the state court was now reviewable under title ix area title x deals with the establishment of the community relations service which can mediate disputes.

one of these cases fernanda as where it's the community relations service where barnett put up a sign that barred speaking a foreign mileages of the bar. now finally we're on to title 11. this says in a proceeding for criminal contempt the accused can get a trial by jury. and was her controversial critical to passing the act. many proponents of the bill did not want to jury trial for content because they thought that there would be certain be amenable told civil rights and would not convict. really the resumption of

what ended in reconstruction. in 1877 you judicial contest between the aids. ultimately that's lucian said to rutherford b. hayes. that he agreed to withdraw federal funds. at the end of reconstruction you had a lot of southern states decisions made post-civil war with regards african-american rights. like accommodations will be segregated. it became difficult for african-americans to vote. because i get the same jobs. 64 civil rights act is a vital to restarting reconstruction and living up to the promise.

>> monday night on the communicators were joined in new revisited.x he worked for microsoft for 22 years including as the president of the entertainment division. he also discusses technology and complications and microsoft and the importance of civics and american life.

>> its work that we all can do, should and must do. >> watch the communicators monday night at a eastern. >> upheld discussion on the people's temple. the community in guyana. ine than 900 people died jonestown. the panel includes two former members of the people's temple. the author of a book on the subject. the california historical society hosted this discussion.