Key to Texas

Modern Texas

  1. The Civil Rights Movement
  2. Modern Political Trends
  3. Modern Population and Economic Shifts

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The Civil Rights Movement

  1. What was the Supreme Court�s ruling in Sweatt vs. Painter?(7.7:C)
            In Sweatt v. Painter the Supreme Court agreed with  ordered the University of Texas to integrate its law school.
  2. What was the Supreme Court�s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education?(7.7:C)
            the Supreme Court�s Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka decision in 1954 ordered the desegregation of public schools.
  3. Who were Juanita Craft and James P. Farmer?(7.7:C)
            Juanita Craft was a civil rights activist in Dallas who led peaceful marches to demonstrate African Americans desire for equality. James P. Farmer was a civil rights activist and the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality.
  4. Who was Barbara Jordan?(7.7:C)
            In 1966, Barbara Jordan of Houston was elected as the first African American woman to serve in the Texas State Senate. Later, she also served as a Texas Congresswoman.
  5. Who was Hector P. Garcia?(7.7:C)
            Dr. Hector P. Garcia WAS one of the leaders in the Mexican American Civil Rights movement. Dr. Garcia received the Bronzed medal in World War II and founded the American G.I. Forum, an organization that addressed the health, education and civil rights of Hispanic veterans.
  6. What was the Supreme Court ruling in Delgado vs. Bastrop Independent School District?(7.7:C)
            In 1948, the Supreme Court in Delgado v. Bastrop Independent School District declared segregation of Mexican Americans unconstitutional.
  7. Identify PASO, MAYO, and RUP. Why were these organizations important?(7.7:C)
           PASO is the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations, MAYO is the Mexican-American Youth Organization and RUP is the Raza Unida Party. Each of these organizations were active in demanding equal rights for Hispanics in the United States.
  8. Identify the "TWPC." What was this organization's purposes?(7.7:C)
            TWPC is the Texas Women's Political Caucus. TWPC was established to promote more political participation by women.
  9. Who was Henry B. Gonzalez?(7.7:C)
            Henry B. Gonzalez was a U.S. Representative who represented the 20th Congressional in Texas for 36 years, from 1962 to 1998.
  10. Who was Ann Richards?(7.7:C)
            Ann Richards was elected governor of Texas in 1990.

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Modern Political Trends

  1. Why was Lyndon Johnson so important to Kennedy in the presidential election of 1960?(7.7:A)
            Johnson helped Kennedy win Texas and several other Southern states.
  2. What was the "War on Poverty"?(7.7:A)
            The "War on Poverty" included new social programs such as Medicare, a housing bill, massive aid to education and many anti-poverty measures.
  3. Why did Lyndon Johnson decide not to seek reelection in 1968?(7.7:B)
            By 1968, public protests of the Vietnam War had become too much for the President, and he declined to seek reelection.
  4. Who was John Tower?(7.7:B)
            Republican John Tower was elected to the United States Senate in 1960. He held his office for four terms. Tower was the first Republican from Texas to be elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.
  5. Who was John Connally? What differences did he have with President Johnson?(7.7:A,B)
            Democrat John Connally, a close friend and supporter of Lyndon Johnson, was elected governor in 1962. Governor Connally opposed parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and did not support elements of Johnson�s Great Society.
  6. Who is Phil Gramm? What was unique about his political career?(7.7:B)
            Gramm was originally elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives. After losing his position on the House Budget Committee, Gramm resigned from Congress and changed to the Republican party. Gramm believed the Republicans more closely reflected his conservative view of politics. He was then elected to the Senate in 1984, again in 1990 and 1996. Gramm led the Republican fight for tax reform and tax cuts. He also served as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and advocated changes in banking, insurance and securities laws.
  7. Who is Kay Bailey Hutchinson?(7.7:B)
            In 1994, Republican Kay Bailey Hutchinson was elected to the United States Senate.
  8. How did political preferences change in Texas beginning in the 1960s? Give some examples of persons elected to office that demonstrate this change.(7.7:E)
            Beginning in the 1960s, the Republican party began to have more influence in Texas politics as conservative views became more popular. Republican John Tower to the United States Senate in 1960. He held his office for four terms. Tower was the first Republican from Texas to be elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. The Republican Party demonstrated its power in 1978 by electing Bill Clements as governor. In the 1980s, Texas voted Republican in presidential elections although Democrats kept control of the Texas Legislature. By the 1980s, Texas was no longer a one-party state.

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Modern Population and Economic Shifts

  1. What has happened to the population in Texas during the 1990s?(7.11:C,D)
            By 1990, Texas ranked second in population in the United States behind California. The Hispanic population was the fastest growing ethnic group in Texas. Most immigrants moved to fast-growing urban areas. In 1999, almost 85 percent of Texas' population was living in metropolitan areas.
  2. What is expected to happen to the population in Texas by 2030?(7.11:C,D)
            The Texas population is expected to approach 34 million by 2030, according to the most recent population projections from the Texas State Data Center at Texas A&M. This would almost double the state�s population of in 1990. Hispanics will account for two-thirds of this growth and are expected to outnumber Anglos in Texas by 2025.
  3. What is "OPEC"? What impact did OPEC have on the Texas economy in the mid 1970s?(7.7:A)
            OPEC is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The oil embargo by OPEC in 1973 increased the price of oil and stimulated the state�s economy. 
  4. What happened to the Texas economy in the 1980s?(7.7:A)
            Almost all industries suffered in Texas the 1980s due to the decline in oil prices. Drilling, refining and other oil related industries cut many of their workers, and unemployment grew. Banks lost almost $2 billion in just the year 1987. The real estate business and the railroad industry also suffered marked declines.
  5. What industries helped drive the recovery of the Texas economy in the 1990s?(7.7:A)
            New industries such as finance, trade and high-tech companies helped drive the recovery of the Texas economy in the 1990s.
  6. How has the agriculture industry changed in the last half of the 1900s?(7.12:C)
            Farms declined in number, while large land owners and corporations turned to high-production "agribusiness", based on greater diversification and mechanization.
  7. What environmental concerns are there in Texas today?(7.10:A)
            Texas has the largest number of oil refineries and chemical plants in the nation. Unfortunately, these industries, as well as others, can have a negative environmental impact. Texas ranks first in the United States in the amount of known or suspected carcinogens released into the environment. Texas also leads the nation in the number of hazardous waste disposal sites, seventy percent of which leak and threaten groundwater. In addition, Texas industry discharges the highest level of toxic air emissions in the country.

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