| SUGGESTED GRADE
LEVELS 9-12.
This program would be appropriate for history, government, ethics, and political science classes. It would be especially useful for units on Alabama history or civil rights. |
|
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The program runs 56
minutes but may be shown in two or three segments by stopping at the following
times:
17:00: Early years through decision to run for Congress. Outcue: "...in 1948, the time had come." 37:27: Race for congressional seat through Kennedy's death. Outcue: "...school children in Alabama who cheered." |
INTRODUCTION
Carl Elliott served
Alabama as an exceptional political figure during his years in the U.S.
Congress (1948-64). Coming from a poor family, Elliott championed the cause
of better education for all Americans. He was responsible for legislation
which brought libraries to rural communities and even now provides millions
of dollars in federal assistance for low income college students. Allied
with President John
F. Kennedy, he served on the powerful House Rules Committee and worked
for progressive social legislation. He also took a moderate stand on racial
issues during one of the most turbulent periods in American political history.
In spite of his many accomplishments, he was defeated in the bitter 1966
gubernatorial race in Alabama. Rediscovered in 1990, he received the prestigious
John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his devotion to public service.
OBJECTIVE
"The Conscience of
a Congressman" introduces students to this remarkable Alabamian. Students
will learn about a farm boy turned politician with a mission to improve
the education of future generations. The program also reviews Alabama's
stormy civil rights history and explores the necessity of political compromise.
Though Elliott regrets some of the concessions he made, students will learn
about one man who worked to make a difference in his country.
PRE-TEST
Before viewing, ask
your students to look for the answers to these questions as they watch
the program, and to be ready for discussion after viewing.
1. While still in
elementary school, Carl Elliott's teacher asked him to state his ambition
in life. What did he say? (He wanted to become a Congressman from his district
in Alabama.)
2. In what year did
Elliott become a U.S. Congressman? (1948.)
3. Why did Elliott
think it was important to have federal aid to education? (He wanted poor
students to have access to libraries and college educations.)
4. Who were some other
famous Congressmen who served with Elliott, and later became U.S. Presidents?
(John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.)
5. What world event
made Elliott decide to call his bill the National Defense Education Act?
(The launch of the first satellite, Sputnik,
by the Soviet Union.) Why? (People were afraid that American students were
falling behind Russian students in Math and Science and that Russia would
use their space advances to build weapons.)
6. Congressman Elliott
says he regret voting against a particular issue. What was it? (The
Civil Rights Act.)
7. In 1962, Alabama
had nine Congressmen. Why was one of those Congressmen forced to leave?
(According to the 1960 census, Alabama's population had decreased. Since
a state's representation in Congress is decided the number of people who
live there, Alabama was only entitled to eight Congressmen.)
8. Elliott ran for
governor in 1966 and lost. Who won that race? (Lurleen Wallace.)
9. What prestigious
award did Carl Elliott receive in 1999? (The John F. Kennedy Profile in
Courage Award.)
ACTIVITIES
AFTER THE VIEWING
* Review pre-test.
Have students construct
a timeline the chalkboard, beginning with Elliott's birth year, 1913, through
the present. Have each student add one of the following, in random order.
Don't tell them the date to begin with--given them clues such as "Elliott
started at the University the year the Depression
began," or "Elliott was elected to congress three years after WWII.
Provide the date only if students are unable to correctly place these events
on the time line.
| --Elliott enters the
University of Alabama (1929)
--World War II years (1941-45) --Elliott is elected to Congress (1 948) --Congress passes the National Defense Education Act (1958) --John F. Kennedy is elected (1960) --Elliott is appointed to the House Rules Committee (1961) --George Wallace is elected governor (1962) --President Kennedy is assassinated (1963) --Elliott loses his seat in the House (1964) --Civil Rights Act is passed (1965) --Elliott runs unsuccessfully for governor (1966) --Elliott received the JFK Profile in Courage Award (1990) |
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* Review how a
bill becomes a law. Illustrate the steps this takes by having a groups
of students act as A) a House committee, B) the general House, C) the corresponding
Senate committee, D) the general Senate, and E) the President. Select one
student to portray "the bill." Have that student follow the path a bill
must take before achieving the status of law. Further illustrate by tracing
the passage of the National Defense Education Act. Have one student portray
Elliott in the House Rules Committee and argue his case for federal aid
to education.
* Ask students
to list ways they have been or may be personally affected by the legislation
Elliott passed. Examples: rural libraries, parents who received student
loans, students who plan to go to college with federal assistance, federal
money your school receives as a result of this initial legislation.)
* Ask students
why some people in Alabama opposed the national govern ment aiding local
schools. Are there examples today of that same controversy? What position
do they think Carl Elliott might take? What other causes might Elliott
be involved in if he were a Congressman today?
* Discuss the political
and moral dilemma Elliott faced voting against the Civil Rights Act, especially
since he had voted for civil rights legislation while serving on the House
Rules Committee.
Ask your students if they think he did the right thing. Why or why not?
VOCABULARY
coalition:
A temporary alliance of distinct persons, parties or states.
Dixiecrat: A party formed by disenchanted Southern Democrats in 1948 who advocated state's rights and opposed civil rights legislation.
populist: Generally, any political movement that has mass support and is commonly perceived to be acting in the interests of the people can be called populist. More specifically, one who advocates mobilizing the poor, especially rural people who have suffered because of industrialization and urbanization.
New Deal: The name attributed to the sweeping domestic policy reforms advocated by President Franklin Roosevelt following the Depression.
New Frontier: The name attributed to the domestic policies designed by President John F. Kennedy to stimulate economic growth.
Progressive: A reformer advocating a political community in which citizens are not divided by class, ethnic or party conflicts, but by temporary, well-informed disagreements on public issues.
A THOUGHTFUL LETTER
Only weeks before
her death, Jaqueline
Kennedy Onassis watched "Conscience of a Congressman: The Life and
Times of Carl Elliott." She had met Elliott when had served in Congress
with her husband. Ms. Onassis was also the editor of Elliott's memoirs.
In her letter, she wrote that the program's power "was going to be in what
it does to young people" who will see in it "how hard it is to improve
life."
