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Lesson

Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Little Rock Crisis

Guiding question

Should President Dwight D. Eisenhower have used federal troops to enforce a federal court’s order to integrate schools in Little Rock, Arkansas?

Duration
100 min
Grade
9–12
Published
Jun 29, 2021
Black and white photo of military vehicles and soldiers assisting a woman at a vehicle during a historical event.
The Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), with its declaration that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, overturned decades of precedent and challenged deeply-held social traditions. Southern resistance to the decision was widespread. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was not enthusiastic about federal judicial intervention in public education, but he carried out his constitutional responsibility to enforce the law by implementing desegregation in the District of Columbia. Not all state governments were quick to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to integrate “with all deliberate speed” and many fought against it openly. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus ordered his state’s National Guard to block the entry of nine newly-enrolled African American students to Central High School in Little Rock. A violent mob gathered in front of the school, and city police failed to control it. Finally, when asked for assistance by the Mayor of Little Rock, President Eisenhower believed his constitutional duty to take care that the laws were faithfully executed left him no choice but to intervene, even to the point of using military force against American citizens.

Founding Principles

Natural/Inalienable Rights, Equality

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Understand the events leading up to and including the Little Rock Crisis.
  • Analyze President Eisenhower’s constitutional justification for his actions.
  • Assess the President’s decision to use military force to prevent violent opposition to a court order.

Materials

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Little Rock Crisis
ActivityHandout B: Document Based Question (Little Rock Crisis)
ActivityHandout C: Analyzing Documents (Little Rock Crisis)
ActivityKey Question Essay Prompt (Little Rock Crisis)
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Lesson plan

100 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, students complete Constitutional Connection: The President as Enforcer of the Law.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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