States' Rights Democratic Party

The States’ Rights Democratic Party, also known as the Dixiecrats, was a political movement in the 1940s and 1950s that split from the Democratic Party. It primarily defended Southern states’ interest in maintaining racial segregation and opposing federal efforts to enforce civil rights for African Americans. The party promoted states’ rights, believing that each state should decide its own laws without federal interference. Their emergence reflected regional resistance to social change, and they played a significant role in shaping the political landscape during that era.