AA Gilded Age Flashcards
1
Q
Negative View + Quote
A
- The Gilded Age was a step back for black Americans, as there was much disenfranchisement, discrimination and few stood up for their rights
- Verny highlights the rampant “electoral fraud, violence and intimidation”
- Frederick Douglass stated that black people were “free from the individual master but a slave of society”
2
Q
Positive View
A
- In the face of discrimination, AAs took action to support themselves and their communities
- Economically, foundations were laid for later advancements
3
Q
Situation before the Gilded Age
A
- Southern Homestead Act 1866- Provided 4000 plots of land for freemen out of 4 million AAs.
- Predominately sharecropping
- Literacy tests, poll taxes, etc barred blacks from voting
- Slaughterhouse decision 1873- 14th Amendment protected ‘national’ and not ‘state’ citizenships
- 14th Amendment 1868
- 15th Amendment 1870
4
Q
Impact on Literacy
A
- Literacy improved from 1 in 20 in 1865 to 1 in 2 by 1895.
5
Q
Unintended benefits of segregation
A
- Segregation actively encouraged the development of black business ownership due to the presence of a guaranteed negro market
- Parallel businesses to white men’s markets such as the North Carolina Mutual Life Assurance Company sprung up
- By 1915 there were 30,000 black businesses in the South
- 4 African American Banks
- Some all-black towns in the west such as Allensworth, California and Deerfield provided a sense of community.
- Strong sense of black culture developing in the North
6
Q
Progress from Westward Expansion
A
- Progress from Westward Expansion- Up to 40,000 AAs moved West to become trappers, farmers and shopkeepers and escaped prejudice in white populated areas. Eval: Most AAs lacked the capital or expertise to travel westwards to create new homes away from prejudice
- The West was more indifferent to colour than the South
- AA’s played a part in Westward expansion as up to ¼ of ‘cowboys’ on Western Ranches were AA’s.
- There were Black cowboys as highlighted in Mel Brooks’ film “Blazing Saddles”
- Some renowned lawmen, sharpshooters, miners, etc in the West
7
Q
Role of Booker T Washington
A
- Development of the Tuskegee Institute by Booker T. Washington improved economic opportunities for blacks by teaching industrial and agrarian (cultivation of land) skills.
BUT: He favoured segregation, lacked effective leadership and was split with Du Bois - He believed that if African Americans took advantage of the economic opportunities of the Gilded Age then privileges would follow
8
Q
Which jobs did AAs occupy
A
- By 1900, there were around 47,000 African American professionals including doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. (Growth of ‘white collar’ job opportunities)
- Owned over 90,000 farms
BUT:
- Sharecropping and poverty remained the norm for most Southern AAs
- African Americans failed to benefit from diversification of Southern farming meaning that they were disproportionately affected by the outbreak if boll weevil in 1892 which damaged cotton farming
- By 1900, almost 90% of AA’s still lived in the South
- In 1880 the average value of output for a black sharecropper was $160 compared to $200 for whites
- Average white worker held 12.4 acres in 1880 compared to 7.5 for blacks
9
Q
Role of Bass Reeves
A
- Bass Reeves was one of the African American lawmen who was a Deputy US Marshal who won a reputation for arresting thousands of criminals and shooting 14 outlaws
10
Q
Who emerged as political leaders in this period
A
- Emerging leaders from the 1870’s- Frederick Douglass and Booker T Washington who raised awareness for AA’s political position through public speaking. These leaders emerged due to the notable increase in education
11
Q
Afro-American League
A
- The focus of the league was to achieve full citizenship and equality for African Americans
- The Afro-American league was formed in 1890. The league’s inaugural meeting in Chicago attracted 100 delegates from 23 states. Eval: Short-lived and had ceased to exist by 1893
12
Q
Role of President Hayes
A
- After 1877, the federal government took a much smaller role in promoting civil rights as President Hayes struck a deal (Known as ‘The Compromise’) that gained him Southern votes and allowed states to ignore Reconstruction legislation and removed remaining troops from the South. Marked the end of Reconstruction
13
Q
General federal attitudes in this period
A
- Congress, Supreme Court and state governments rarely agreed and were predominantly anti-civil rights
- States introduced many Jim crow laws
- Supreme Court was very anti-civil rights
14
Q
Supreme Court decisions (6)
A
- US v. Reese (1876)
- Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896
- Slaughterhouse decision (1873)
- US vs. Cruikshank 1876
- Cumming vs. Board of Education 1899
- Williams vs. Mississippi 1898
15
Q
US v. Reese
A
- US v. Reese (1876) - threw out indictment of Kentucky officials who had barred blacks from voting
