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Research project: NAACP anti-lynching campaign in the 1920s

Founded in 1909, the NAACP has been a premier civil rights organization for more than a century. The Brown V. Board supreme court decision in 1956 is the NAACP's most famous victory, but long before then it was making an impact. We are focusing on the 1920s when the organization launched a campaign to persuade Congress to pass a law making lynching a federal crime among other initiatives.  The assignment is to research NAACP activities during 1921 and 1922.  It has three parts: (1) You will read primary sources (historic newspapers) and record information in an excel database; (2) You will read a recommended secondary source (a book); (3) You will write a 8-10 page paper using information from both the secondary and primary sources

 Primary source research (newspapers):

 1) Begin by downloading this research database-excel-1.xlsx Download research database-excel-1.xlsx

 2) We are using ProQuest Historical Newspapers for newspaper searches. Below is the link to the pre-arranged databases of newspaper articles that you should use. It delivers articles from newspapers and magazines related to this topic. 

a) you should see a page like this. If not, you may need to click the Library's login button top right and enter your UW-net ID

proquest results1.png

 

b) scroll the titles of articles, clicking on those that seem most relevant. Some will be mistaken entries triggered by the search terms. Others will be too short to be useful. Download copies of all articles that might be useful or interesting. It is more efficient to download them than to read them in ProQuest. 

c) use "back to results" to return to the search results.

proquest results4.png

d) you can filter results using the menus on left side. Sorted by "oldest first" means the entries are in chronological order. "Relevance" is the other option. You can also open the Publication title menu and select articles from particular newspapers.

proquest results2.png

 

3) After downloading many articles, add at least 20 to your research database-excel-1.xlsx Download research database-excel-1.xlsx and write a short description of the event or issue described in each article. Feel free to add additional information in other columns. Your spreadsheet needs to include no less than 20 articles. You will submit the research database along with your paper.

4)  Please DO NOT save or delete the ProQuest search. Others will not be able to use it.

 

 

Secondary source research (books):

 5) Obtain and read one or more books. Several are listed below. Others can be identified in  UW Library catalog http://www.lib.washington.edu/   

E:Book
Freedom's sword : the NAACP and the struggle against racism in America, 1909-1969  (Links to an external site.)
Gilbert Jonas 

E Book:
Civil Rights and the Making of the Modern State (Links to an external site.)
by Megan Ming Francis, 

Print Book
Lift every voice : the NAACP and the making of the civil rights movement 
Patricia Sullivan, (Odegaard Library course reserves)