| Name: ______________________________ | Date: ______________ |
Instructions
- Read each question carefully and use evidence from your knowledge of Emmett Till's story.
- Remember that this topic includes racism, violence, and injustice.
- Answer in complete thoughts when a question asks you to explain.
Example: Why did the Emmett Till case become nationally important?
Answer: The case drew national attention to racial violence and injustice, especially after photographs of Emmett's body were published.
Part 1: Key Facts
Complete each sentence with the correct word or phrase.
1. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American boy from __________.
2. In August 1955, Emmett was visiting relatives in the state of __________.
3. Emmett's mother, __________, insisted that the world see what had happened to her son.
4. The trial of Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam took place in __________, Mississippi.
Part 2: Historical Context
Choose the best answer for each question.
5. Why were photographs of Emmett Till's open casket especially significant?
| ○ A. They allowed many people to confront the reality of racial violence. | ○ B. They proved that the trial had been held in Chicago. |
| ○ C. They showed that Emmett had survived the attack. | ○ D. They were used to identify the grocery store. |
6. What was the verdict in the 1955 state murder trial?
| ○ A. The defendants were found guilty. | ○ B. The defendants were found not guilty. |
| ○ C. The trial ended with no jury. | ○ D. The defendants were sentenced to life in prison. |
7. Which movement was strongly influenced by the national reaction to Emmett Till's murder?
| ○ A. The Civil Rights Movement | ○ B. The Progressive Era |
| ○ C. The Space Race | ○ D. The temperance movement |
8. What later became known about Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam?
| ○ A. They admitted their involvement in a magazine interview. | ○ B. They apologized during the trial. |
| ○ C. They were convicted in federal court. | ○ D. They left the United States immediately after the trial. |
Part 3: Evidence Check
Decide whether each statement is true or false.
9. Emmett Till was killed in Mississippi in 1955. True / False
10. Mamie Till-Mobley chose a private funeral that was closed to the public. True / False
11. The all-white jury acquitted Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam in the state trial. True / False
12. The Emmett Till case had no effect on public discussions of civil rights. True / False
Part 4: People and Places
Match each person or place with the description that fits it.
| 13. | Emmett Till | __________ | A. Fourteen-year-old boy whose murder became a major civil rights case |
| 14. | Mamie Till-Mobley | __________ | B. Community where the confrontation at a grocery store occurred |
| 15. | Roy Bryant | __________ | C. One of the two men acquitted in the 1955 state trial |
| 16. | Money, Mississippi | __________ | D. Town where the murder trial was held |
| 17. | Sumner, Mississippi | __________ | E. Emmett's mother, who made the funeral publicly visible |
Part 5: Historical Thinking (optional challenge)
Answer each question using specific evidence.
18. How did Mamie Till-Mobley's decision about the funeral challenge people to recognize racial violence? |
19. Why is it important to distinguish between the 1955 state trial and the later public admission by the killers? |
20. Give one reason the Emmett Till case is still studied today. |
Answer Key
| 1. | Chicago |
| 2. | Mississippi |
| 3. | Mamie Till-Mobley |
| 4. | Sumner |
| 5. | A (They allowed many people to confront the reality of racial violence.) |
| 6. | B (The defendants were found not guilty.) |
| 7. | A (The Civil Rights Movement) |
| 8. | A (They admitted their involvement in a magazine interview.) |
| 9. | True |
| 10. | False |
| 11. | True |
| 12. | False |
| 13. | A (Fourteen-year-old boy whose murder became a major civil rights case) |
| 14. | E (Emmett's mother, who made the funeral publicly visible) |
| 15. | C (One of the two men acquitted in the 1955 state trial) |
| 16. | B (Community where the confrontation at a grocery store occurred) |
| 17. | D (Town where the murder trial was held) |
| 18. | She held an open-casket funeral and allowed photographs to be published, making the brutality of the crime visible to a wide audience. |
| 19. | The state trial ended in acquittal, while the later admission provided a different account of their responsibility; together, they show the gap between legal justice and historical evidence. |
| 20. | It helps people examine racism, racial violence, unequal justice, media influence, and the courage of those who demanded change. |