African Americans

Question 1

What was Johnson’s plan?

Answer 1

It was to re-build confederate states and integrate AA’s in to society.
The plan was as such:
All southerners had to swear the oath of allegiance
All states had to ratify the 13th amendment
All stolen property (bar slaves) was to be returned
Civil and military leaders were not to be pardoned
Slaves were to be given land (special field order #15) known as “forty acres and a mule”.

Question 2

Why did Johnson’s plan fail?

Answer 2

13,000 southern rebels were pardoned
Punishment of rebel leaders was abandoned
Many of the above were allowed to return to office
Failed to enforce the ratification of the 13th amendment
The freedmen’s bureau had limited impact as 1 agent per 10,000 - 20,000 men. Education also did not happen.
There were also many diseases.

Question 3

How many black people were killed in Texas between 1865 + ????

Answer 3

1,000. 8,500 men were indited for the murders however none were prosecuted.

Question 4

What happened in the period of hope 1867-77?

Answer 4

1,465 black men held office within southern states (the majority was in South Carolina and Louisiana.
Blanche K. Bruce represented Mississippi in the US senate.
Black Codes were largely nullified but show white attitudes.
Most states refused to do anything further than integration.

Question 5

What was the situation for AA’s by the mid 1870’s?

Answer 5

Many were sharecroppers - meaning they were still dependent on white landowners
Industrial employment was avoided as it meant less jobs for the whites.
The Freedmen’s Bureau closed in 1872.
There was essentially a contrast between de jure and de facto.

Question 6

What did states do to get around the 15th amendment?

Answer 6

Most southern states used the understanding clause. In Mississippi voters had to take an literacy test. Georgia used a poll tax of $2. In Louisiana a grandfather clause was introduced.

Question 7

Who was the last black congressman?

Answer 7

George Henry White. He was elected in 1896, re-elected in 1898 and his term expired in 1901. After him no blacks served in congress for 28 years and none from the southern states for 72 years.

Question 8

What were the statistics for black voting in the South Carolina presidential elections?

Answer 8

1880 -70% of eligible AA’s voted.

1896 - 11% of eligible AA’s voted.

Question 9

What were the Jim Crow laws?

Answer 9

They were a series of laws put in place by the southern states between 1887 - 1891.
It started with segregating blacks and whites on train carriages and in some states giving them separate waiting rooms. This re-enforced school segregation that was already in place.
After 1891 this was extended to all kinds of public places.
This was deemed constitutional in the 1891 case Plessy vs Fergerson. This ruled that segregation didn’t mean inferior just separate (Known as the separate but equal ruling).

Question 10

List some examples of Jim Crow Laws

Answer 10

Blacks and white’s could not marry each other
School resources could not be shared between races, which ever race had first used it (normally whites) got to keep it. This reinforced the gap between education quality for the races.

Question 11

What was the “great migration”?

Answer 11

A mass migration of AA’s from the South to the North from 1900-1920. In 1900 only 911,000 AA’s lived in the north, by 1920 this had doubled.

Question 12

List the positives and negatives of the north (in 1920).

Answer 12

+Fewer lynchings - but it is not publicly condemned
+Blacks with voting rights could be Jurors (made trials fairer and more open.
+Institutionalised racism not as prevalent
+Segregation encouraged black culture and jazz
+Significant black middle class develops
-Development of Ghetto’s (has an impact on education)
-Unofficially segregation moves north
-1919 soldiers come back to find AA’s in their jobs - leads to the Chicago race riots.
-Severe workplace discrimination in unionised and skilled work

Question 13

During 1915-1920 did civil rights change in the South?

Answer 13

Workers focused on survival rather than civil rights and there was less black consciousness - this was the opposite in the North.
Radical black newspapers were not present in the south. This stopped the spreading of ideas (such as black consciousness)
There were attempts to make lynching a crime - but this was not as prominent in the south - because the NAACP did not operate in the south.
There was opposition to any attempts at federal intervention - the south liked being able to do what they wanted.
Segregation still continued (education issues)

Question 14

How did the NAACP develop in the period from WW1 to WW2?

Answer 14

After WW1 there was a surge in membership - leading to 90,000+ members by 1920. This was due to fighting alongside Indians, Australians, etc. This showed that Americans could have equality. 
This declined to 50,000 members in the 1930's.
The NAACP was mostly run by middle class AA's and Whites who had limited contact with the socially deprived.

Question 15

What was the impact of the Scottboro boys trial (1931)?

Answer 15

They were 9 boys accused of raping somebody. it lead to a supreme court decision that at least one AA must be on the Jury for an AA trial.

Question 16

How did WW2 help AA’s?

Answer 16

Helps to discredit racism - as what difference is there between AA’s and Jews?
Helps to increase economic standing - as working in industry and gaining skills.
Migration (2 million AA’s) into cities as this was where jobs in defence were and farming was becoming more mechanised. this lead to greater safety and more political power.
NAACP membership increased by 400,000 members.

Question 17

What were the negative effects of WW2?

Answer 17

With many people moving into big cities there was a shortage of homes - so whites saw AA’s as rivals. This caused resentment and led to the race riots in 1943.
Expansion of the pentagon and Arlington national cemetery caused the demolition of several hundred AA homes.
There was also tension within the workplace. When the Alabama dry dock company hired AA’s in 1943 there was a revolt and 50 AA’s were injured. This was due to a perceived “competition” for jobs and an unease about AA’s working with women.

Question 18

What was the FECP?

Answer 18

The Fair Employment Practises Committee set up by FDR in 1941 to examine cases of discrimination in employment. Congress however cut it’s funding in 1945 and dissolved it in 1946, furthermore 2/3rds of the 8,000 cases it received were dismissed. This does however show how important congressional funding was.

Question 19

Who was Emmett Till and what were the consequences of this event?

Answer 19

14 yr old boy who was murdered in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. The damage to him was so bad that he was unidentifiable. This meant that at trial his murderers were not convicted because they could not prove that the body was Emmett’s. This miscarriage of justice gained international attention and lead to most people giving support for the civil rights movement. It also showed the impact of the Jim crow laws on the south.

Question 20

What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Answer 20

It started when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man. She was arrested and charged $10. Local AA’s then began to boycott the bus company - initially for 24 hours and then until they changed their policy. It was ruled in court that the policy was unconstitutional - this was appealed but rejected. The boycott eventually ended after 381 days.

Question 21

What was little rock and what were it’s impacts?

Answer 21

Little rock is a town in Arkansas. 9 AA’s enrolled in a school there in 1957 (after Brown vs Board). they were initially refused entry and were only allowed in after Eisenhower intervened and state troopers were required to protect the students.
This was significant as Eisenhower was protecting civil rights and setting himself, and other presidents, a precedent of getting involved.

Question 22

What was the Birmingham Protest?

Answer 22

It took place between April 3rd and May 10th 1963. It was designed to bring attention to the integration efforts of AA’s in Birmingham, Alabama. This was described as “the most segregated city in the country”. It was also chosen as the police chief was known to be violent and anti civil rights. They used sit ins and marches which provoked mass arrests. They also used elementary and high school children to make the arrests more unfair.

Question 23

What were the effects of the Birmingham Protest?

Answer 23

Desegregation within Birmingham took place and the mayor created a biracial committee on the issue; however black clerks, police officials and firemen were not hired (although the deal stated this should happen..
JKF’s civil rights act was drawn up in response to this, and James Baldwin (an organiser) met with attorney general Robert. F. Kennedy.
SCLC also came to prominence and showed that passive resistance in the south could work - in contrast with the court based, northern NAACP.
However there was a tear gas attack on a department store when it complied with desegregation and the KKK attacked a black church - killing four girls. This shows how threatened they were, as they claimed to be Christians but attacked a christian church.

Question 24

What was the March on Washington?

Answer 24

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Was a civil rights protest to shed light on the political and economical challenges for AA’s in America; that took place on August 28th 1963. MLK’s “I have a dream” speech occurred here. Whilst 200,000 people attended the event (80% black 20% white) there was opposition and threats of murder and bombing.
The general view of AA’s improved and there was increased interest in the civil rights movements, and helped to pass the civil rights act of 1964. However it was criticised by Malcolm X as “a picnic” and a “circus”

Question 25

What was Brown vs Board?

Answer 25

Brown vs Board was a supreme court case between the Brown family (and others) and the Board of education of Topeka. It desegregated schools, and overturned Plessey vs Fergerson. This was because the court found that most segregated institutions were not equal - and thus unconstitutional. It only applied to schools - but sent a firm message to congress, and AA’s, as wells a paving the way for further desegregation

Question 26

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Answer 26

The 1964 civil rights act was initially proposed by JFK in 1963, but passed by LBJ in 1964. There was initial opposition and filibustering, but once passed there was an overwhelming majority for in both houses.

Question 27

What were the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Answer 27

There was a ban on exclusion from public places (basically desegregation).
The Attorney General could file lawsuits to speed up desegregation and voting.
The FEPC was set up on permitted basis, and discrimination on racial, sexual or religious grounds would illegal.
No discrimination was allowed on federally funded programmes. A community relations service was set up to deal with outstanding issues.

Question 28

What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Answer 28

The Voting Rights Act was introduced following changes in public opinion after Selma and Birmingham.
It abolished literacy tests, understanding clauses and proof of moral character clauses. It also made it illegal to prevent black people registering to vote (i.e through lack of voter registration centres.
(It basically gave them what the 15th amendment was trying to do)

Question 29

What was the SCLC?

Answer 29

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was founded in 1957 and led by MLK. It offered a non-violent alternative to the NAACP’s litigation strategy and aimed to improve the situation for southern blacks. Furthermore because it was a christian organisation southern racists could not attack it. However because it’s poor organisation, lack of staff and mass support it was initially hindered - but did help with the Birmingham protest and march on Washington march.

Question 30

What was CORE?

Answer 30

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942. They mostly focused on sit ins, freedom rides and boycotts. It was a non-violent organisation, but lacked dynamism.

Question 31

What was the SNCC?

Answer 31

The Student Nonviolent coordinating Committee (SNCC) worked in the 1960’s. It aimed to politicise local communities and empower ordinary people. It was more egalitarian (equal) and appreciative of women and whites than others.It organised protests in places such as Alabama and Georgia between 1961-4. The black freedom movement was seen as their finest hour. They however became divided after the emergence of black power.

Question 32

What was Black Power?

Answer 32

It really emerges between the 50’s-60’s and is based around the idea that peaceful protest was not working. This because they are being controlled by white people. It is about having a black consciousness and not being passive/controlled by whites.

Question 33

What was the Nation of Islam?

Answer 33

It was a Black Power group formed it Detroit by Elijah Muhammad - but was based on Garvey’s ideas. It aimed to foster a sense of black pride within the ghettos and set up shops/restaurants to create economic independence. However Muhammad saw white people as their enemies and rejected calls for integration.

Question 34

What was the Black Panther Party?

Answer 34

It was a party formed to help black party. It was openly willing to be violent, dressed in black and carried guns. It patrolled the streets looking for violence.

Question 35

What the case of University of California vs. Bakke?

Answer 35

It was a supreme court case in 1978. Allan Bakke took the University of California to court after he was rejected twice from medical school (even though “special applicants” got in with lower scores than him). The court found that minority applicants did not have to compete with regular applicants; which was unconstitutional because they discriminated against non-minority applicants - but race could be a plus factor for a candidate.