Civil Rights in the United States of America has been developed for senior secondary students of History and is part of the Nelson Modern History series. Each book in the series is based on the understanding that History is an interpretive study of the past by which students also come to better appreciate the making of the modern world. Developing understandings of the past and present in senior History extends on the skills learnt in earlier years. Students will use historical skills, including research, evaluation, synthesis, analysis and communication. They will rely on their knowledge of the historical concepts such as evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, empathy, perspectives and contestability, to understand and interpret societies from the past. The activities and tasks have been written to ensure that students develop the skills and attributes required for senior History subjects.

Using a wide variety of visual and text sources, Civil Rights in the United States of America explores the American civil rights movement from its modern foundations during World War II to the election of the first African-American President. In examining this development, this text discusses key movements, such as the Freedom rides and March on Washington, and the role and significance of key individuals including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jnr and President Lyndon Johnson.

Series Editor, Tony Taylor is the past Director of the National Inquiry into the Teaching and Learning of History and the National Centre for History Education. From 2006 to 2010 he was a senior consultant to federal government bodies responsible for the development of Australian Curriculum History, while researching and publishing extensively in various topics in education and History.