Section A: With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context,
assess the value of these three sources to a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights
legislation during Johnson’s presidency. (30 marks).
Overall, Source A is valuable to an historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency because it gives insight into Johnson’s use of intimidation
tactics to pass key laws through the Senate. The main value of the source for understanding
these intimidation tactics is the content. This is because it discusses the Johnson Treatment
which was a method of invading personal space to coerce the target into agreeing with the
President. This is demonstrated through the quotation: “He moved in close, his face a
scant millimetre from his target”. This would have been especially intimidating given
Johnson’s large stature and physicality which he utilised to pass civil rights laws such as the
Civil Rights Bill in 1964. Johnson resorted to using this tactic due to the Senate filibuster
being used by Republican senators to prolong debates as a way of stopping the bill being
voted on. A subsidiary value of this source for understanding the passage of civil rights
legislation is its provenance. The nature of the source is a journalistic article which makes it
limited because journalists have a tendency to sensationalise the facts in order to sell copies
to a wider readership. This sensationalism is evidenced in the quotation: “The Treatment
[was] an almost hypnotic experience and rendered the target stunned and helpless.” The
origin of source was that it was produced in 1966, which was a year after the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 and two years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is of value because it was
published immediately after two significant events which gives insight into the aftermath of
these momentous laws. The purpose of the source was to spread awareness of the Johnson
Treatment to the American public, thereby mocking and undermining the Johnson
administration in time for the next general election. However, the main limitation of this
extract which hinders its value for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency in its tone. The source carries a satirical and quasi-fictional
tone when describing the Johnson treatment to senators as “hypnotic” and “breathtaking”.
This is a limitation as the humorous tone undermines the amount of hard work Johnson put
into the passage of Civil Rights legislation and reduces it to a quasi-fictional joke. Johnson
devoted a staggering amount of time, money and energy into breaking the Senate filibuster
and ensuring the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights bill which hastened the end of Jim Crow
by outlawing any racial discrimination. His emotive appeals to Kennedy’s legacy and ability
to skillfully adjust to his audience in order to gain widespread support of the bill contributed
to the passage of the bill. Therefore, the tone decreases the value for an historian studying
the passage of Civil Rights legislation during Johnson’s presidency as it undermines
Johnson’s role and mocks him by reducing it to a humorous intimidation tactic. Overall, the
extract is valuable for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation during
Johnson's presidency as it gives an insight into one of the many tactics Johnson used in
order to successfully pass laws through the Senate.
Overall, Source B is valuable for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency as it gives a clear insight into President Johnson's utmost
devotion in passing the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. The main value of the source in relation to the
question is its tone. Johnson carries a desperate, almost aggressive tone when speaking
about going to “get Everett Dirksen” highlighting both Johnson's determination in passing the
1964 Civil Rights bill but also how pivotal the republican vote was in order to achieve its
passage. Johnson’s determination is also shown through his skillful adjustment of what he
assess the value of these three sources to a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights
legislation during Johnson’s presidency. (30 marks).
Overall, Source A is valuable to an historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency because it gives insight into Johnson’s use of intimidation
tactics to pass key laws through the Senate. The main value of the source for understanding
these intimidation tactics is the content. This is because it discusses the Johnson Treatment
which was a method of invading personal space to coerce the target into agreeing with the
President. This is demonstrated through the quotation: “He moved in close, his face a
scant millimetre from his target”. This would have been especially intimidating given
Johnson’s large stature and physicality which he utilised to pass civil rights laws such as the
Civil Rights Bill in 1964. Johnson resorted to using this tactic due to the Senate filibuster
being used by Republican senators to prolong debates as a way of stopping the bill being
voted on. A subsidiary value of this source for understanding the passage of civil rights
legislation is its provenance. The nature of the source is a journalistic article which makes it
limited because journalists have a tendency to sensationalise the facts in order to sell copies
to a wider readership. This sensationalism is evidenced in the quotation: “The Treatment
[was] an almost hypnotic experience and rendered the target stunned and helpless.” The
origin of source was that it was produced in 1966, which was a year after the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 and two years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is of value because it was
published immediately after two significant events which gives insight into the aftermath of
these momentous laws. The purpose of the source was to spread awareness of the Johnson
Treatment to the American public, thereby mocking and undermining the Johnson
administration in time for the next general election. However, the main limitation of this
extract which hinders its value for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency in its tone. The source carries a satirical and quasi-fictional
tone when describing the Johnson treatment to senators as “hypnotic” and “breathtaking”.
This is a limitation as the humorous tone undermines the amount of hard work Johnson put
into the passage of Civil Rights legislation and reduces it to a quasi-fictional joke. Johnson
devoted a staggering amount of time, money and energy into breaking the Senate filibuster
and ensuring the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights bill which hastened the end of Jim Crow
by outlawing any racial discrimination. His emotive appeals to Kennedy’s legacy and ability
to skillfully adjust to his audience in order to gain widespread support of the bill contributed
to the passage of the bill. Therefore, the tone decreases the value for an historian studying
the passage of Civil Rights legislation during Johnson’s presidency as it undermines
Johnson’s role and mocks him by reducing it to a humorous intimidation tactic. Overall, the
extract is valuable for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation during
Johnson's presidency as it gives an insight into one of the many tactics Johnson used in
order to successfully pass laws through the Senate.
Overall, Source B is valuable for a historian studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation
during Johnson’s presidency as it gives a clear insight into President Johnson's utmost
devotion in passing the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. The main value of the source in relation to the
question is its tone. Johnson carries a desperate, almost aggressive tone when speaking
about going to “get Everett Dirksen” highlighting both Johnson's determination in passing the
1964 Civil Rights bill but also how pivotal the republican vote was in order to achieve its
passage. Johnson’s determination is also shown through his skillful adjustment of what he
