Civil Rights and Federalism

This is an Inquiry Pack to accompany the Federalism Timeline on LegalTimelines.org, which examines the evolving division of duties and powers between the federal and state governments throughout the eras of federalism.

Built around primary sources from the Library of Congress and other collections, this Inquiry Pack facilitates a deep dive into an important aspect of the history of federalism in the United States.

Each Inquiry Pack includes a background reading, several primary sources (documents, articles, images), discussion questions about the sources, an inquiry question, and an inquiry extension question.

This pack includes the following components:

• Introduction: Civil Rights and Federalism
• The 14th Amendment
• Desegregation in Public Schools
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Civil Rights and Gender Equality
• Voting Rights
• Inquiry Question: How has the system of federalism impacted civil rights in the United States?
• Inquiry Extension Question: Can the federal government address the lack of diversity in public schools? Should the federal government address this issue?
• Inquiry Question Graphic Organizer