Civil Rights Movement: Desegregation Primary Sources

Civil Rights Movement: Desegregation Primary Sources

Historical documents. What clues can you gather about the time, place, players, and culture?

Shmoop's Historical Texts Section

For an in-depth look at the biggest historical speeches, documents, and court cases from history, head over to our Historical Texts sections. We've covered "I Have a Dream," "I've Been to the Mountaintop," "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and the Little Rock Nine executive order, just to name a few.

James Meredith to Thurgood Marshall

Letter from James H. Meredith to Thurgood Marshall regarding Meredith's application to the University of Mississippi, January 1961.

John F. Kennedy's Address on Civil Rights

Read the full text of John F. Kennedy's civil rights speech delivered on national television on June 11th, 1963.

Bob Dylan on the Death of Emmett Till

Lyrics to "The Death of Emmett Till," by Bob Dylan.