“It was like a Nazi rally. Yes, that’s exactly what Nuremberg must have felt like.” (Lambert, 114) The Nazi rally was a reference to the public speech given by Governor Ross Barnett at halftime of the football game between Ole Miss and the University of Kentucky. The Nazis also held rallies led by Hitler. They had the idea that Jews were an inferior race, based on the idea of ​​eugenics. The Nazis and the South were similar in this respect. The South considered African Americans an inferior race and the only race that could be superior was the white race. In The Battle of Ole Miss: Civil Rights v. State Rights author Frank Lambert presents historian James Silver's idea that Mississippi was a "closed society," thereby diminishing any view other than their own. Before we can consider Mississippi a "closed society", one must look at the history of what made Mississippi a "closed society", having strong beliefs in white supremacy and why they tried to maintain those beliefs to any price. In this novel, Lambert addresses the issue that had a significant impact on Mississippi and its people. The question of James Meridith, an African American who sought higher education at a prestigious school, Ole Miss. White Mississippians' beliefs in white supremacy toward African Americans are extreme. What caused Mississippi to become this society dates back to the Civil War, African-Americans' fear of surpassing them, and politics. The Civil War was the war against the Confederacy and the States of the Union. The States of the Confederacy were mostly Southern states, and the States of the Union were mostly Northern states. During the Civil War, Mississippi was a Confederate state. The Confederate States were pro-slavery and the Union State... middle of paper ... was easier to let Meredith admit. He had to comply with society in order to keep his vote for the next elections. Barnett had to refuse Meredith admission at all costs because he didn't want Mississippi to think he was a "nigger lover." He reiterated that Ole Miss would never be integrated and that segregation would persist as long as he was governor. In conclusion, Mississippi was a closed society due to its roots of slavery, fear of African American supremacy, political leaders, and opinions at the time. . Mississippians grew up in a society where they knew only segregation and that is what they were taught from birth. They considered it a normal way of life, so they tried to maintain segregation at all costs. The change was not easy for them. This is why I believe Mississippi was a closed society.