Final answer:
White southerners strongly resisted the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, precipitating President Eisenhower's intervention with federal troops in Little Rock, Arkansas. Integration encountered significant congressional obstacles, yet Eisenhower's decisive actions facilitated eventual civil rights legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reaction of many white southerners to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling was one of vehement opposition. They took various actions to resist integration, including the mobilization of state National Guards to prevent black students from attending formerly white-only schools. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus notably called out the National Guard to block the integration of Little Rock's Central High School, prompting a significant response from President Eisenhower.
President Eisenhower initially took a moderate stance but ultimately decided to take a direct presidential action through Executive Order 10730, nationalizing the Arkansas National Guard and deploying the 101st Airborne Division to enforce desegregation. This order ensured that the nine black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, were able to attend classes. Eisenhower faced obstacles in Congress, where there was strong opposition to desegregation; however, the seriousness of the situation and public outcry eventually led to the passage of further civil rights legislation.
Despite Eisenhower's actions and the legal backing of federal courts, full integration of public schools would take many years due to continued resistance and political maneuvers, such as school closures by white governors in the South to prevent integration.