How did the Little Rock Central High School integration in 1957 demonstrate federal intervention in civil rights?

• A. The Supreme Court ordered immediate desegregation with no further action.
• B. The state government organized a peaceful transition with no federal involvement.
• C. President Eisenhower deployed federal troops to enforce integration.
• D. Local authorities refused to enforce any desegregation.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that federal power can compel a state to uphold constitutional rights when state authorities refuse to do so. In 1957, after Brown v. Board declared desegregation, Arkansas’ governor tried to block Black students from enrolling at Central High. To enforce the court’s ruling, President Eisenhower federalized the National Guard and sent in federal troops to escort and protect the Little Rock Nine as they enrolled and attended classes. This showed the federal government willing to use its authority—and even military force—to ensure desegregation, signaling that federal law takes precedence over state resistance.