1. Students will analyze old and new photographs showing life in the Southern United States.

2. Students will draw conclusions about how people lived in the Southern United States
    during the 1950s.

3. Students will discuss the consequences of the policy of Massive Resistance in
    Charlottesville during 1950.

4. Students will explore the historic origins of the policy of Massive Resistance.

5. Students will watch video interviews of Charlottesville citizens who was affected by the
    policy of Massive Resistance.

1. Charlottesville in Black and White by Erin Magurn.  An article from the ENWR 201
    Charlottesville History Project, Department of English, Byran Hall, UVA
    Created and Last Modified on December 3, 1996
    URL: http://www.engl.virginia.edu/courses/enwr201/f96/3/eem2p.html

2. The Library of Congress' American Memory site: "Photographs from the Farm
    Security Administration-Office of War Information Collection"
    URL:http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/085_disc.html

3. The Virginia Center of Digital History Project: Race and Place: African-American
    Community History at URL: http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/afam/index.html

4. Video Recording of an interviews with a former Charlottesville Resident (Requires Real Player)

Hello! Today you have been designated a historian!  Historians have the job of telling a story by investigating events in the past and in the present by looking at items such as photographs, posters, and signs.  Historians also talk to people to learn about an event that has happened.   For fun today, you have the assignment of investigating a past event in Charlottesville city history.  This event was known as Massive Resistance.  Take a look at the image below.  As a historian, you have the job of telling people why this event happened, what kind of things went on during the time of the event, the people who benefited from Massive Resistance, the people who suffered from Massive Resistance, and the consequences of this event.  Now, many of you might not have heard of Massive Resistance, thus you may not understand the images on this newspaper clipping.  But, have no worries young historians.  We have designed some activities for you that will give you a very good idea on what went on in Charlottesville during the heydey of Massive Resistance and its relation to legal practices that took place in the South after the Civil War ended.  Well, young historians, if you are ready then click here for your first activity.

Activity One: Click here to view some recent photographs of students in the Charlottesville area.  Please, read the directions that follow.

Activity Two: Click here to view some very old photographs of public establishments in the Southern United States.

Activity Three: This activity should be done only by discretion of the teacher if the teacher feels the class still has trouble telling the story of Massive Resistance.

Activity Four:  After all groups have successfully told the story of Massive Resistance, then the class can view the video clipping of a former Charlottesville resident who had lived during the years of this practice.

Directions:

1. On a piece of paper, answer the following questions as a group.

2. When finished proceed to the Conclusion.
 
 

1. Were you able to tell what Massive Resistance was about after doing Activity One?

2. What about the pictures in Activity One led to your conclusion about Massive Resistance?

3. Did you have problems analyzing the pictures in Activity One?  If so, what were they?

4. Were you able to tell more clearly what Massive Resistance was about after looking at your group's assigned photographs in Activity Two?

5. What particular images from your group's assigned pictures in Activity Two helped you in telling the class what Massive Resistance was about?

6. If Activity One and Activity Two gave you trouble, did Activity Three help shed any light on what Massive Resistance was about?

7. What did you like about the video interview?

8. What didn't you like about the video interview?

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE HISTORIANS! You have successfully conducted an investigation into a past historical event.  Historians have the challenge of telling stories and writing those stories in books for you to read later.  Much of a historian's job deals with the historian making assumptions and conclusions using pictures, written documents, news articles, and oral (spoken) accounts to help tell the story of an event.  Today, you took pictures, video interviews, and other written documents dealing with Charlottesville and you worked at writing and telling a story about Massive Resistance.