Question

remarks on the signing of the civil rights act
by lyndon b. johnson

on july 2, 1964, president lyndon b. johnson signed into law the civil rights act of 1964. in his speech, johnson pointed to the nations founding principles in the declaration of independence and the constitution as inspiration for his remarks and the new laws significance.

1 my fellow americans, i am about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964.

2 i want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law means to every american. 188 years ago this week a small band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom. they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom. not only for political independence, but for personal liberty. not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice and the affairs of men. that struggle was a turning point in our history. today in far corners of distant continents the ideals of those american patriots still shape the struggles of men who hunger for freedom. this is a proud triumph. yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure, only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning. from the minutemen at concord, to the soldiers in vietnam, each generation has been equal to that trust.

select the correct answer from the drop-down menu.

how did johnson use paragraph 2 to establish his purpose?

the author used this paragraph to explain that the purpose of his speech was to drop-down menu

choose an answer

• convey how important the idea of the civil rights act is to american history
• explain how the civil rights act will impact american citizens
• put the civil rights act into context within american history
• connect the civil rights act to the founding fathers revolution

Explanation:

Analyze the prompt and paragraph 2

Using the Rhetorical Purpose Analysis knowledge point

The question asks how Lyndon B. Johnson uses paragraph 2 to establish his purpose.

Paragraph 2 states:
"I want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law means to every American. 188 years ago this week a small band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom... From the minutemen at Concord, to the soldiers in Vietnam, each generation has been equal to that trust."

Evaluate the options based on textual evidence

Using the Textual Evidence Analysis knowledge point

Let's evaluate the dropdown options:

• "convey how important the idea of the Civil Rights Act is to American history"
• "explain how the Civil Rights Act will impact American citizens"
• "put the Civil Rights Act into context within American history"
• "connect the Civil Rights Act to the founding fathers' revolution"

Paragraph 2 traces the struggle for freedom from 188 years ago (the founding), through various generations (minutemen at Concord to soldiers in Vietnam), to show that the Civil Rights Act is part of this continuous historical journey. This placing of the event within a broader historical timeline directly serves to "put the Civil Rights Act into context within American history."

Answer:

• convey how important the idea of the Civil Rights Act is to American history
• explain how the Civil Rights Act will impact American citizens
• put the Civil Rights Act into context within American history (Correct answer)
• connect the Civil Rights Act to the founding fathers' revolution