This course is a survey of American History from the Age of Exploration and Discovery to the present. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original documents, and historiography. This history curriculum is assembled from UC college preparatory courses and students will demonstrate comprehension of a broad body of historical knowledge; express ideas clearly in writing; work with classmates to research an historical issue; interpret and apply data from original documents; identify underrepresented historical viewpoints; write to persuade with evidence; compare and contrast alternate interpretations of an historical figure, event, or trend; explain how an historical event connects to or causes a larger trend or theme; develop essay responses that include a clear, defensible thesis statement and supporting evidence; effectively argue a position on an historical issue; critique and respond to arguments made by others; raise and explore questions about policies, institutions, beliefs, and actions in an historical context; evaluate primary materials, such as historical documents, political cartoons, and first-person narratives; evaluate secondary materials, such as scholarly works or statistical analyses; and assess the historical significance and cultural impact of key literary works (e.g. Common Sense, Uncle Tom's Cabin).

The purpose of this course is to examine the African American experience in the United States from 1863 to the present. Prominent themes include the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; African Americans' urbanization experiences; the development of the modern civil rights movement and its aftermath; and the thought and leadership of Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. WARNING: Some of the lectures in this course contain graphic content and/or adult language that some users may find disturbing.

This transcript of an interview for Eyes on the Prize documents the leadership strategies of March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin.

In 1948, President Harry Truman took an early step towards civil rights reform by issuing Executive Order 9981, which eliminated racial segregation in the military. After World War II, African Americans ? then often called Negroes or "coloreds," began to mobilize against discrimination. They demanded an end to segregation and fought for equality in education, housing, and employment opportunities. The images in this topic show that by the 1960s, their struggle ? which began in the segregated South ? had reached California. As a number of photographs in this topic show, many Californians showed their support for Civil Rights activists and victims of racial discrimination in the South by holding marches, rallies, and demonstrations urging equality for African Americans. In one image three white children in San Francisco hold a sign in support of the four young black girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Photographs also show people in San Francisco boycotting Kress and Woolworth's department stores, sites of racial discrimination in the South. Documents shown here include a flyer urging the boycott of the stores; and a Western Union telegram sent in 1963, stating that Civil Rights activists Roy Wilkins and Medgar Evers were arrested attempting to picket Woolworth's in Jackson, Mississippi. Two photographs of memorials for slain civil rights leaders ? a march in honor Medgar Evers in 1963, in Los Angeles, and a memorial in the San Francisco Bay Area for Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968 ? show racially mixed crowds in attendance. But not all Californians sympathized with the Civil Rights movement. Images of racial hatred and prejudice are reflected in the photograph of an African American woman holding a rock that had been thrown through an office window, and Klu Klux Klan graffiti spray-painted on a home. Various groups formed to fight in the struggle for equal rights. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), formed in 1909, entered a new phase during this period, leading in the organized struggle for civil rights. An example of how the NAACP communicated about events is reflected in a letter from the Alameda County branch of the NAACP on June 13, 1950, which reported segregation on the Southern Pacific Railroad trains leaving Los Angeles. A flyer promoting the boycott of California grapes exemplifies NAACP support for other rights movements, in this case the United Farm Workers. Other flyers urged Californians to fight sharecropper wages and "Keep Mississippi Out of California." Groups such as the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and student groups also protested segregation and incidents of racial discrimination in the South. Several important African American leaders ? including Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, and Ralph Abernathy ? all came to California, as documented by photographs included here. Sometimes, the price of fighting for social justice was high. Two images capture events held for leaders in the social justice movement who were assassinated: the 1963 memorial march in Los Angeles for civil rights leader Medgar Evers; and a crowd attending a Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Rally in honor of the slain civil rights leader.

Diane Nash was a college student when she started leading sit-in demonstrations to protest discrimination. In this interview, recorded for Eyes on the Prize, Nash describes her role in the Civil Rights movement.

This collection of excerpts from legislation and court decisions documents key phases of the legal struggle to gain and implement equal education.

The History Faculty is a new, free educational resource for secondary schools and especially those A-level students thinking about applying to University. We have a growing library of short, downloadable films of university lecturers speaking on topics from the A-level curriculum

In this interview, taken from archival news footage, civil rights leader Malcolm X describes the impact of his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca on his racial views.

Social studies teachers will find that the film presents an informative, complex and issue-oriented story that raises controversial questions and provides an exciting way to introduce a number of important concepts in 20th century United States and world history. It offers an opportunity to explore the historical background of current events and issues in the news today; the Middle East crisis, the struggle of developing nations to create stable economies and democratic governments, the legacy of racism, human rights, international peacekeeping, and the need for effective, visionary, leadership for the 21st century.
The Teacher's Guide helps to translate this important and compelling story into a powerful learning tool. Designed primarily for grades 9-12, but possibly useful to teachers of grades 7-8 as well, the guide will be especially helpful when using the film in classes where the focus is on United States history, world history, African American history, United States government, international relations, political science and world geography. It is also recommended for any class considering issues in civil rights and human rights and problems in conflict resolution. Film study and filmmaking classes interested in learning about the production of the documentary may wish to visit the section of the website entitled "The Making of the Film" which includes an interview with producer/director William Greaves.

In this interview, recorded for Eyes on the Prize, legendary civil rights activist Rosa Parks recalls her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

This excerpt from SCLC's 1966 plan for a campaign in Chicago documents the conditions of urban poverty.

Sheyann Webb was eight years old in 1965 when she marched for voting rights. In this interview, recorded for Eyes on the Prize, she recalls the events of the Selma march.

This segment from American Experience: Simple Justice profiles Charles Houston's strategy for attacking segregation and how he trained the legal team that eventually argued the Brown case.

This segment from American Experience: Simple Justice documents Dr. Kenneth Clark's doll test, which became important social science evidence in the Brown case.

This segment from American Experience: Simple Justice captures the legal issues and opening arguments in Brown v. Board of Education.

This segment from American Experience: Simple Justice explores the issue at the heart of Brown v. Board of Education: whether the Fourteenth Amendment applied to segregated schools.

This segment from American Experience: Simple Justice reenacts Thurgood Marshall's closing statement in Brown v. Board of Education.

Poet Sonia Sanchez, interviewed here for Eyes on the Prize, describes what the outspoken civil rights leader Malcolm X represented to African Americans in the 1960s.

Storyteller and educator Awele Makeba combines performing arts and history to tell a powerful story from the American civil rights movement. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 9-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.