122D: The lives of African Americans Flashcards
Between 1870 and 1900, how much did the USA’s black population grow?
It doubled from 4.4 million to 7.9 million
Where did the majority of African Americans remain?
In the South
Where did many African Americans in employment?
Farming, building railroads, making turpentine and lumbering
What were most African Americans in the South tied to?
Farming
By 1910, what percentage of black farmers owned their land?
25 per cent
By how much did the black population grow in the North and West?
It doubled from around 460,000 to 910,000
Where did African Americans often live in the North?
Poor quality housing
In the North what kind of areas did many African American’s experience discrimination in?
Employment opportunities, quality of housing, low level of education, and confinement of specific areas
However, what was developing in the North?
A strong black culture
What was developing in the South even before the end of Reconstruction?
Formal segregation
How many states introduced formal segregation?
8
What was the popular press of African Americans?
Lazy, intellectually weak and easily provoked to violence
What did white Southerners say segregation would clear?
Racial tension and avoid bloodshed
Were these separate facilities the same standard?
No, in reality they were of poorer quality
How did Southerners move around the Fifteenth amendment so to prevent African American voting rights?
Discrimination against gender and property ownership was not outlawed, therefore the South devised complex rules and imposed additional voting requirements
What had become commonplace during Reconstruction and saw the height of during the Gilded Age?
Lynching
Between 1882 and 1899, how many men and women were lynched?
2,500
What were the usual excuses for lynching?
Accusations of rape, attacks on white women and occasionally rape
Did Southern governments and police forces do much to prevent lynchings?
No, they were rarely brought to court either and even more rarely convicted
What bill did Senator Henry W. Blair try to introduce which was rejected by Congress?
An education bill that would have provided millions of dollars to Southern black and white schools
How many eligible black children were enrolled in school?
only 2/5
What was the issue with African American schools?
They were often lacking the bare essentials and would close shortly after opening. White schools had much longer terms and better financing. African American parents often had to make up the difference due to small state subsidies
In the North, how was schooling different by the 1890s?
Segregated schools were slowly disappearing, most high schools accepted black applicants and colleges and universities accepted small numbers of African Americans
