1940s Flashcards
How did the war impact the Civil Rights Movement? (6)
Many recognised the irony of black Americans fighting against the very racist nazi Germany being victims of racism themselves
Black soldiers willing to fight and die for their country so should be rewarded with civil rights
Black Americans made an important contribution to war effort, end of 1944: 2 million working in war factories (some met with hostility eg Detroit riots in 1943) so should be rewarded
Truman proposed anti lynching bill
Black Americans more determined to fight for their rights, NAACP membership rose by 9 times
CORE (congress for racial equality)
Describe the impacts of Truman’s fair deal on Black Americans (8)
Truman wanted to reward black Americans for their loyal contribution to the war effort
Believed in equality yet knew he couldn’t change things if there was too much opposition, began the moves to equality for black people
Pressure from outside America as the issue of race became prominent across the world, black African and Asian States were gaining independence and the ‘new states’ were becoming members of the UN, how could US face the black leaders of these countries when black people were so badly treated at home
Policies:
End lynching
Abolish poll taxes that stopped black people voting
End segregation in the army
Congress refused to pass the first two yet was important as he was the first US president to declare segregation as wrong
Describe the experience of WWII for black Americans (6)
The 1940 Selective Service Act made it illegal to show discrimination when calling up and training black soldiers
US war Department continued the practice of segregated units after they had been trained
Black units that fought for the US were called the Jim Crow Army
Black soldiers could be treated better abroad than home
Women could serve as nurses/ factory workers
US Air Force didn’t initially allow black pilots
Discrimination in the navy
Desegregation: 1946: navy 1948: army
