George Wallace: Inaugural Address as Governor

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: Do you believe Wallace’s segregationist views were the result of political calculation or of deeply held personal convictions?
• 2.: Many people would be surprised to learn that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People endorsed Wallace’s candidacy for governor in 1958 and that in 1982 he won the majority of the black vote in his race for reelection as governor. Why do you think that a man known for his segregationist views would be able to successfully court the black vote?
• 3.: How did Wallace’s inaugural speech reflect the ongoing tension in the United States between the power and authority of the federal government and the rights of individual states?
• 4.: Wallace’s address was not only a document with implications for the civil rights movement but also a document in the history of America’s response to Communism during the cold war. How so?
• 5.: What role did party politics play in the slow pace of integration during the late 1950s and early 1960s? How was Wallace able to exploit the hesitancy of leaders such as presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy?