African Americans Flashcards
1
Q
When was the time period known as Reconstruction?
A
1865 - 1877
2
Q
When was the time period known as the Gilded Age?
A
1875 - 1896
3
Q
When was the time period during the Depression and the New Deal?
A
1929 - 1941
4
Q
When was the time period of reform and reaction from JFK, LBJ and Nixon?
A
1960 - 1974
5
Q
When was the time period of Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush?
A
1974 - 1992
6
Q
Describe the US government system
A
7
Q
Briefly define the Black Codes
A
Southern states’ laws to control freed slaves
8
Q
What was the KKK’s ideology?
A
- White supremacy
- Aimed to end Republican domination of South which they believed had been the consequence of the South’s defeat in the Civil War
9
Q
Define Radical Republicans
A
Republicans in Congress who had been active opponents of slavery and introduced changes to help freed slaves
10
Q
When was the Freedmen’s Bureau set up and what did it do?
A
- Set up in 1865 by Radical Republicans
- Provided food, shelter, hospitals and education, including 2 universities, which helped emancipated slaves adapt to everyday life
11
Q
When was the 13th Amendment passed and what did it do?
A
1865 - ended slavery
12
Q
When was the 14th Amendment passed and what did it do?
A
1868 - gave everyone equal protection before the law
13
Q
When was the 15th Amendment passed and what did it do?
A
1870 - gave African American men the right to vote
14
Q
When was the First Reconstruction Act passed and what did it do?
A
1867 - allowed states to write their own Constitution - this led to the growth of the KKK in states like Tennessee
15
Q
When was the First Enforcement Act passed and what did it do?
A
1870 - outlawed discrimination based on race or colour
16
Q
When was the Second Enforcement Act passed and what did it do?
A
1871 - overturned any state laws which prevented African Americans from voting
17
Q
What did the 1875 Civil Rights Act do?
A
African Americans could not be banned from public places based on the colour of their skin
18
Q
What was the result of the 1896 Plessy vs Ferguson case?
A
- Upheld Jim Crow laws
- Established “separate but equal”
19
Q
What was the result of the 1944 Smith vs Allwright case?
A
Made it unconstitutional for black voters to be excluded from primary elections
20
Q
What was the result of the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education case?
A
- Brown’s daughter, Linda had to walk a mile to a segregated school, when a white school was much closer - district court ruled against Brown, quoting Plessy vs Ferguson
- NAACP lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, took the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of Brown
- Shut down “separate but equal”
21
Q
What was the result of the 1955 Brown vs Board of Education case?
A
- Said that education should be desegregated with “deliberate speed”
- Gave wriggle room to racist states
22
Q
What was the result of the 1960 Boynton vs Virginia case?
A
- Interstate travel should be desegregated
- This gave rise to the Freedom Riders
23
Q
What was the result of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?
A
- Outlawed segregation in the US
- Prevented juries to make decisions based on race - e.g. 2 people who murdered Emmett Till got away with it because they were white
24
Q
What was the result of the 1965 Voting Rights Act?
A
Overcame state and local laws that prevented African Americans from voting
25
Why did the Radical Republicans want to take charge of the Congressional Reconstruction after the Civil War?
Ensure that confederacy never happened again
26
What was Radical Reconstruction?
Radical Republicans, led by Sumner and Stephens, put forward their own Reconstruction plan
27
What were the 7 successes of Radical Reconstruction?
1. Freedmen's Bureau
2. 14th Amendment
3. 15th Amendment
4. 1st Enforcement Act
5. 2nd Enforcement Act
6. 3rd Enforcement Act
7. Civil Rights Act
28
When was the 3rd Enforcement Act passed and what did it do?
1871 - banned the Ku Klux Klan
29
What group of people tried to stop Radical Reconstruction?
White Southern Congressmen
30
What are 3 examples of white backlash?
* Lynching
* Black Codes
* Southern white newspapers (propaganda)
31
What were 5 effects of Congressional Reconstruction?
* White backlash from the South
* Many of the acts passed during Reconstruction were ignored
* The black middle class population grew
* Gave more rights to African Americans
* Black people had more rights in politics
32
What 2 things did Southern states introduce to prevent African Americans from voting?
* Literacy tests designed to deliberately exclude African Americans
* “Grandfather clauses” - if an African American person could prove their grandfather voted, then they could prove. No African American could prove this
33
What was the result of the 1883 United States vs Harris case?
* Supreme Court ruled the CRA as unconstitutional
* Private discrimination did not fall under federal jurisdiction
34
What was the result of the 1898 Williams vs Mississippi case?
Court declared that discriminatory voter registration laws were not unconstitutional, as there was no specific mention of race in voting qualifications
35
What was the result of the 1971 Griggs vs Duke Power Company case?
* Court protected African Americans from discrimination by firms who insisted on high school diplomas for jobs that didn't really need them
* Many African Americans did not have these qualifications but were capable of doing the work, so were losing higher paid jobs to white workers
36
What 2 things did Abraham Lincoln do to help African Americans?
* Emancipation Proclamation - freed slaves
* Passed 13th Amendment
37
What 3 things did Andrew Johnson do to restrict African Americans?
* Allowed Jim Crow laws to be passed
* Allowed Black Codes to progress
* Hindered Civil Rights because he was against them (racist)
38
What did President Grant pass to help African Americans?
Enforcement Acts
39
Did President Grant like the KKK?
No
40
Why did President Wilson hinder progression for Civil Rights?
Massively racist
41
What was Roosevelt's CCC?
* Set up to deal with unemployment
* Both white and black people were included, so more of a general inclusion rather than direct support for African Americans?
42
What was Roosevelt's Executive Order 8587, passed in 1940?
* Banned discrimination based on colour, race or creed
* Influenced by Randolph’s threat of a march on Washington.
43
What did Truman's 1948 Executive Order do to help Civil Rights?
* Ended segregation in the military
* Very difficult to keep military segregated, so the only option was to desegregate it
44
What 2 Acts did LBJ pass to help Civil Rights?
* 1964 CRA
* 1965 VRA
45
In what ways was the Gilded Age a period of lack of progress? (5 ways)
* White supremacists regained political control of the south
* Black people depended on white people for their livelihoods due to economic coercion
* State governments sought to exclude blacks from political life altogether
* Still segregation and discrimination (Jim Crow)
* New laws introduced literacy tests and the Grandfather clause
46
In what ways was the Gilded Age a period of progress? (4 ways)
* Segregation helped create a black middle class
* Black unions were formed
* 4 black banks
* All black universities created (Fisk, Howard) as well as Tuskegee (1881)
47
What was the position of African Americans in the North?
* In 1877, African Americans made up less than 5% of the Northern population
* Right to vote and equality sometimes remained theoretical
* In the 1870s, 22 black people were elected to Congress (20 in the House, 2 in the Senate)
48
Who was Blanche K. Bruce?
* Born into slavery
* From 1875 to 1881, he represented Mississippi in the Senate
* BUT, he lacked support and was unable to increase civil rights in general
49
What was the Hayes-Tilden Compromise?
* Troops were withdrawn from the South
* Southern states regained political control over their territory
* States' rights enabled Southerners to keep their old way of life - court judgement supported this
50
What was the result of the 1873 Slaughterhouse case?
* Supreme Court decided that the rights of citizens were under state rather than federal control
* 14th Amendment protected a person's individual right but not state civil rights
51
What was the situation for African Americans by 1877?
* Slavery had gone
* African Americans had been given the right to vote and in some cases, a significant political role, but these rights were brought to an end by the southern states
* Educational opportunities became a reality but standard of this lagged behind the white race
* Basic employment opportunities
* Formal segregation was beginning
52
What was the position of African Americans in the north in the 1880s?
* Black Americans were barred from trade unions
* Housing was poor quality and expensive
* No legal segregation, but there was discrimination in employment, quality of housing, education, and confinement to specific areas
* BUT, greater possibility of voting in the north
* Strong black culture developing
53
Which state was the first to segregate rail travel in 1881?
Tennessee
54
What happened between 1887 and 1891 in the South?
Jim Crow laws developed rapidly - extended from trains to public places
55
What happened between 1890 and 1910?
Height of lynching against African Americans
56
Who was Booker T. Washington?
* Formed Tuskegee in 1881
* His philosophy was based on black Americans acquiring skills first, as a starting point in the process of progress
* His Atlanta Compromise in 1895 had an immediate impact
* Organised the National Business League
57
What was the position of black businesses during the Gilded Age?
* 47,000 black Americans started their own business
* Booker T. Washington formed the National Business League
* 4 black banks, 1 black millionaire (Charles P. Graves)
* Growth of black middle class
* Minority of African Americans benefitted, majority still economically disadvantaged
58
Why was there a growth of the black middle class during the Gilded Age?
Racial segregation established black businesses such as grocery
shops, barbers, doctors and lawyers
59
Define sharecropping
* White landowners allowed former slaves to work their land in return for a considerable share of what was produced
* NOT VERY DIFFERENT TO SLAVERY
60
How does Charles P. Graves represent little change for African Americans during the Gilded Age?
1 black millionaire vs lots of white millionaires
61
Describe Booker T. Washington's 1895 Atlanta Compromise Speech
* Attempt to reach peace with white South
* Outlined Booker T. Washington's accommodationist strategy to advance civil rights
62
By 1871, how many KKK members were there in Tennessee?
40,000
63
What were the 1890 literacy tests?
Introduced to deliberately exclude African Americans from voting
64
What was the 1895 Grandfather clause?
* If an African American could prove their grandfather voted, then they could vote
* No African American could prove this
65
What was the effect of Westward Expansion on African Americans?
* First cowboys on ranches were African American and Mexican
* They lacked the expertise to travel west to create new homes away from prejudice
66
What was the position of education for African Americans in the Gilded Age?
* All black universities, e.g. Fisk, Howard, Tuskegee
* BUT segregated schools in the South
67
How did President Hayes try to help civil rights?
* Committed to civil right, educational and economic opportunities for all Americans
* Withdrew last federal troops from the South
68
How did President Garfield try to help civil rights?
* Supported African American suffrage
* Proposed the Pendleton Civil Service Act
69
How did President Arthur try to help civil rights?
* Passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act
* Pushed for funding for African American schools
70
How did President Cleveland hinder civil rights?
* Did not support equality for African Americans
* Sympathised with white, Southern Democrats
71
Why was Booker T. Washington criticised?
* People thought he was too “accepting” of white dominance
* Started the process of cooperating with white leaders
72
Which President invited Booker T. Washington to the White House in 1901?
Theodore Roosevelt
73
What does W.E.B DuBois' belief in the “talented tenth” mean?
10% of African Americans should become elite and educated and lead black people to equality
74
What did W.E.B. DuBois form in 1905 to press for change?
The Niagara Movement
75
What did the Niagara Movement become in 1909?
The NAACP
76
In what way was W.E.B. DuBois different than Booker T. Washington and in what way were they similar?
* More radical than Booker T. Washington
* BUT, like Washington, believed that black people should help themselves rather than rely on help from others
77
W.E.B. DuBois made civil rights into a what?
National newsworthy issue
78
What did W.E.B. DuBois later believe in?
Pan-Africanism, which helped to inspire Marcus Garvey
79
Who was inspired by W.E.B. DuBois' organisational skills?
A. Phillip Randolph
80
Who was inspired by W.E.B. DuBois' emotive speeches?
MLK
81
What did Martin Luther King want?
Wanted to work WITH whites WITHIN the American system
82
What were Martin Luther King's 2 main aims?
Wanted integration and equal rights through peaceful protest
83
Outline the Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955
* Happened after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to get out of the whites-only seat on a bus
* African Americans refused to use the buses
* After 13 months, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional
84
Outline the murder of Emmett Till in 1955
* Murdered in a racist attack after allegedly whistling at a white woman
* Served as a catalyst to the later civil rights movement
* Murderers were acquitted by an all white male jury
85
Outline what happened at Little Rock in 1957
* NAACP enrolled 9 black students at Little Rock High School
* Denied entry by angry crowds, supported by Arkansas National Guard who were called in by the state governor
* President Eisenhower federalised the National Guard
* Students allowed in but faced harassment
86
When was the SCLC formed and who formed it?
* 1957
* MLK
87
What were the 2 main characteristics of the SCLC?
* Non violent
* Mass demonstrations
88
What are the 4 main achievements of the SCLC?
* Demonstration in Albany, Georgia 1961
* Demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama 1963
* March on Washington 1963
* CRA 1964 and VRA 1965
89
What happened at Birmingham, Alabama 1963?
* MLK held a protest
* Police Chief Bull Connor opened fire on protesters (including children) with water hoses, dogs, beatings and arrests
* Bull Connor's actions gained support for civil rights movement
90
Who founded the Black Panthers and when?
* 1960
* Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
91
What was the general approach of the Black Panthers?
* Openly carried weapons
* Formed “defence groups” against police brutality
* No whites allowed in the Black Panthers
92
What were the 4 main aims of the Black Panthers?
* Economic equality
* End of capitalist exploitation
* Protection from police violence
* Separate juries for black people
93
What were the achievements and impact of the Black Panthers?
* Failed to attract the huge membership achieved by the Nation of Islam
* Led to increased pride in being black
* Belief that white views could be challenged rather than accepted
* Led to bigger split in the civil rights movement
94
Did Black Power support MLK?
* No - rejected MLK
* Called him an “Uncle Tom” - said he was white in black skin
95
Outline the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church Bombings
* KKK bombed a church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing 4 young choir girls
* No convictions
96
What were the 1964 Mississippi Murders?
* 2 white civil rights workers and 1 black civil rights worker were arrested for speeding in Mississippi, held for several hours and then released
* Later murdered by KKK, inc. local sheriff and his deputy
* Some convictions but only light sentences
97
What happened to Rodney King in 1991?
* Black taxi driver caught speeding by police
* 4 policemen beat him almost to death
* Incident was filmed from a nearby block of flats - seen all over the world
* 2 of the policemen sentenced to 3 years, other 2 acquitted
* Led to race riots in LA
98
When was the KKK formed?
1865 in Tennessee straight after Civil War
