ement of the 1960's. During Reconstruction, favorable legislation was passed for blacks, but the turn of the century brought back the old ways of the government before the war, with discriminating actions such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Jim Crow Laws, and the ignorance of black voting rights. The legislation passed in the 1960's included the overturn of the hated Plessy v. Ferguson case, and laws outlining the complete integration of blacks with the rest of society with laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Leaders of the civil rights movement of the late 1800's and early 1900's were not as involved, motivated, or as organized as the leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960's. While Booker T. Washington was successful in helping blacks catapult themselves into contention with whites economically, he lacked the desire to lead blacks to social equality. W.E.B. Du Bois did attempt to lead blacks into social equality, but he lacked adequate support from the black majority. Civil rights leaders of the 1960's, eg. Martin Luther King Jr., gathered large numbers of supporters during speeches, encouraging active participation in protests for the social, economical, and political equality for blacks. During the post war 1960's, with all the new technology being introduced, Americans also looked to modernize their opinions and perspectives. The time was ripe for leaders to step up and make a difference. From Kennedys assassination to Vietnam to the Hippies, the 1960s were considered to be a chaotic time for America. Out of this mess, however, came a beautiful thing as blacks earned the equal rights they deserved and had fought a long time for. The1960s marked the climactic ending to the war for civil rights....
