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George C. Wallace
The forces of racism have always been strong in this country. When combined with political opportunism
and ambition, they combine to create a heady and enticing mixture for some individuals. In the early 1960s,
George C. Wallace was one of these individuals. Wallace started his political career as an economic populist,
championing the common people against special interests. However, to advance politically in the Deep South
of the 1960s you had to appeal to raw racial hatred, and the ambitious Wallace proved to be quite good
at appealing to raw hatred. At his inauguration in 1963, he called for "Segregation now! Segregation
tomorrow! Segregation forever!" and became the hero of anti–civil rights southern whites. In a demagogic
style reminiscent of Joseph McCarthy, he claimed to be the defender of average Americans, and he appealed
to their fears by attacking the federal government, civil rights activists, student protestors, college
intellectuals, and reformers in general. The virulence of his attacks on the principles of civil rights
and his outrageous claims that "welfare mothers were breeding children as a cash crop" set the
stage for the spread of similar accusations by right-wing movements today. Keep in mind that Wallace used
the occasion of Independence Day, 1964, to give the following speech.
As you read this speech, consider which individuals and groups Wallace is appealing to. What type of appeals
does he make—strong arguments supported by indisputable facts, or emotional arguments wrapped in a false
patriotism and intended to trigger a quick emotional response by the audience? Compare the text of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 [Part III] with the claims Wallace makes about the bill. What false claims does
he make about this measure, and why does he make them? You might find striking similarities between the
arguments in this speech and the ideas advocated by the extremist groups in Part IV.
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