The National Archives Civil rights and racial segregation

This education session at The National Archives is aimed at key stage 5 students and explores the response to racial segregation in the United States. Using a range of Foreign Office files produced by the British Government, students examine how ordinary Americans and the US government responded to segregation during the presidencies of Eisenhower, JFK and Johnson.

The workshop encourages students to investigate how attitudes and responses changed over time, while also considering why the British government was monitoring the civil rights situation in the first place. It links closely to A-Level History content and helps learners build their understanding of post-war civil rights, power and reform, and the wider international context of racial segregation.