This thesis argues that Southern Senator Strom Thurmond was a leader in Southern resistance against desegregation. It highlights the importance of Massive Resistance as a defining moment in the...Show moreThis thesis argues that Southern Senator Strom Thurmond was a leader in Southern resistance against desegregation. It highlights the importance of Massive Resistance as a defining moment in the South's shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. It delves into the backlash against the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision and argues that the 1950s and 1960s are a defining era of political realignment in American political history.Show less