America Flashcards
What were the Jim Crow Laws based on?
Separate but equal
How were blacks stopped from voting and when did this finish?
Literacy tests, you had to pass to vote but many blacks were uneducated so couldn’t. Phased out in 1964 election but only outlawed fully in 1970
Who formed NAACP when and what does it stand for?
1909 William Du Bois formed the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. After 1930 Walter White took over
What were the main issues that NAACP faced?
People who joined lost jobs immediately so low membership. They were asking those in power to lose their power
Who formed UNIA when and what does it stand for?
Marcus Garvey-who would be arrested in 1923-formed the Universal Negro Improvement and Conservation Association in 1915
What were the aims of the UNIA?
For BAs to have pride in their colour, culture and history. To repatriate BAs back to Africa, and to make Africa strong and powerful
What were some KKK activities in 1929?
Beatings, floggings, walks, parades, marches, torture
What were KKK members?
WASPs-White Anglo-Saxon Protestants
Who did KKK members dislike?
Non-Americans, BA, divorced whites, the Jewish, communists and Catholics. They created a society of fear in which you either were a member, or had a dreadful life
What did KKK members wear and carry on marches?
White sheets and white hoods, to conceal members identities, and the white colours symbolised white supremacy. They carried American flags and lit burning crosses
What were KKK officers and leaders called?
Officers-Klaliffs Kluds or Klabees
State Leaders-Grand Dragons
Supreme Leader-Imperial Wizard
Important Klan members in 1920s
Governor of Alabama and a Texas senator
How did the Klan do in the political sphere?
One southern congressman was told to ‘join the Klan or else.’ In November 1924 and 1925 a special mayoral election was almost won twice by a KKK member, the second time losing 140,000 to 110,000
When did 15,000 people march on Washington to ban the KKK?
1946
Impacts the Depression had on BA
2 million farmers and sharecroppers forced off land
Unemployment as high as 60% in North
Groups set up to stop BA getting jobs
What was the Double V campaign?
Victory on the battlefield against fascism, battle against racism at home
When did desegregation take place in the US armed forces?
Navy in 1946 (where before it was the most racially divided part of the service) and the rest all by 1955
How did the NAACP benefit from the Second World War?
As well as more blacks being aware of rights due to them going to Britain where it was less racist, membership increases
Give me some numbers about the armed services after World War 2
1944-Black pilots and marines were allowed to train-600 by end of war. Hundreds of black officers by end of war-big change from before when blacks found promotion difficult
How did the second world war highlight racism in the US?
In Navy blacks were given menial or dangerous roles. Black nurses and black blood for black soldiers only (mongrelising)
As part of the double v campaign, what went on in the US in 1943?
Race riots in 47 cities due to racial tensions
What’s a Dixiecrat?
A member of the Democrat party from the south that opposes civil rights
What was Executive Order 9981?
That all policies made by the President and the US armed forces should be equal to all, not based on race, colour or nationality
How many people were unemployed by the end of 1929 and why?
2.5 million because many business’s closed due to the Wall Street Crash
How much of the workforce was unemployed in 1933?`
1/3
What were makeshift homes called in the 30s?
Hoovervilles
What type of person was created by the Wall Street Crash and what did they do?
Hobos, who were homeless but travelled on freight trains around the country (2 million of them by 1933)
What percentage of BA were unemployed in 1933 and why?
50%, as they were always the first to be laid off
What happened to farmers during the Depression and why?
Bankruptcy hit most, with food left to rot in the ground due to low prices and they were unable to sell produce
What had caused the dust bowl?
Poor farming methods had exhausted the soil, but this was exacerbated by the 1931 drought
How much land became the dust bowl?
20 million square hectares
How many people moved during the Depression and what did they do once moved?
Over 1 million people moved to the western, fruit growing areas to be paid a low wage
What did the amount of, decrease due to the Depression (family life) and why?
Marriages, as people did not want to take on the extra commitment of marriage, and also birth rates
What happened to suicide rates and schools during the Depression?
Suicide rates went up, and schools were shut for 10 months as there was not enough money to pay the teachers with
What did the Bonus Marchers want?
They wanted a bonus that had been promised to them in 1945 to come earlier
Why did Hoover not appease the Bonus Marchers?
He felt the $2.5 million was too much money
What happened to the Bonus Marchers?
The police offered to pay for their transport home, but 5,000 stayed leading to clashes with 2 people and a baby dead and tear gas let off
What was Hoover’s plan to tackle the depression?
Balance the budget by refusing to borrow money
What Republican values did Hoover keep?
Laissez faire and rugged individualism
What tariff did Hoover put in in 1930 and what was it’s effect?
Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act which increased import duties but it just stopped Europeans trading
What did Hoover set up and what else did he change while in office?
He set up the President’s Organisation for Unemployment Relief and he cut taxes by $130 million
What was the Agricultural Marketing Act?
It enabled the government to lend money to farmers through co-operatives and fixed profits for them
What happened to Hoover first set of post-Depression policies and what did this cause?
His first set of polices did not work, so he had to draw up new ones
What was the Reconstruction Finance Corporation?
$2 billion in loans to banks, insurance companies and railroads-Hoover
What was the Emergency Relief Act?
$300 million to state government to help the unemployed
What was the Home Loan Bank Act?
To stimulate house building and ownership, 12 regional banks were set up with $125 million
What was the main success of Hoover?
He paved the way for Roosevelt with house-building initiatives and public works schemes
What was Roosevelt’s appeal?
The New Deal and creation of jobs was appealing, and his mood of optimism helped as well
Why was Hoover unpopular?
He was blamed for the Depression, the homelessness and unemployment it caused, being unable to deal with it, the treating of the Bonus Marchers and he had nothing new to promise
What was the New Deal’s aims?
The 3 R’s-Relief, Recovery, Reform
What was the idea behind Relief?
Assist in the removal of poverty, provide food for the starving, intervene to prevent people from losing homes/farms
What was the idea behind Recovery?
Ensure that the economy was boosted so that people could be given jobs
What was the idea behind Reform?
Ensure there was welfare provisions in the future for the unemployed, old, sick, disabled and destitute
What started on the 9th of March 1933?
The 100 Days, were Roosevelt created many polices
What was Roosevelt’s biggest crisis?
The banking crisis, with 2,000 banks closed
What did Roosevelt do with the banks?
He closed them for 10 days, then had his first fireside chat to 60 million listeners about his plan
What did Roosevelt say in his first fireside chat?
He would allow banks with assets to re-open and those without would remain closed until his advisors had created a rescue plan. He said people’s money was safer in the banks
What was the AAA?
The Agricultural Adjustment Act, that wanted to increase farm prices and farmers income, by reducing production levels
What did the AAA do?
It paid farmers to produce less, with 5 million pigs killed and thousands of hectares ploughed back into the ground
What happened to the AAA?
The supreme court ruled it unconstitutional in 1936 in the US v Butler case, which said that it is a states job, not a federal one to give the money
What was the CCC?
Civilian Conservation Corps which gave 18-25 year olds jobs such as conserving soils, with food and clothing and $1 given to them
How many men had experienced job in the CCC?
More than 2 million
What was the CWA?
Civil Works Administration, which created public works jobs, with 4 million employed in 1934 (mainly unskilled workers). Changed to WPA in 1935
What did jobs in the CWA include?
Building roads, but also sweeping parks of leaves and scaring away birds
What was the EBA?
Emergency Banking Act, to restore confidence in the banking system, which stopped banks using the stock market
What was the FCA?
Farm Credit Administration, which gave low interest payments to 20% of the entire farming population
What was the FERA?
Federal Emergency Relief Administration, $500 million to state and local governments, temporary
What was the NRA?
National Recovery Administration, which set prices fair and gave workers rights such as maximum working hours
How did the NRA go about it’s business?
Blue eagle posters, and people were persuaded to only buy from shops displaying the poster
What was the PWA?
Public Works Administration, $3,300 million on huge-scale public works
What was the RFC?
Reconstruction Finance Corporation, originally Hoover’s agency and the £15 billion allowed banks and business’s to restart investment
What was the TVA?
Tennessee Valley Authority, aimed at rejuvenating one of the hardest hit places by the Depression
What did the TVA give?
Gave more than half the population of 2.5 million relief aid
What did the TVA build?
A system of dams which generated cheap electricity and controlled flooding as well as recreational areas, health and welfare activities
What did TVA allow?
Industries to be more attracted to the area
What was the opposition for the TVA?
Farmers whose land was flooded, and business owners who felt USA was becoming a socialist state
How many Americans were unemployed by the end of 1934 and what did this cause?
10 million, so Roosevelt put in a Second New Deal
What was the plan with the Second New Deal?
To introduce broad programmes of reform to help farmers, workers, the poor and the unemployed
What was the WPA?
The Works Progress Administration, previously the FERA, headed by Harry Hopkins which spent $4.8 million on relief programmes
What did Harry Hopkins use his $4.8 million to do?
He started building projects such as hospitals, schools and airports, putting unemployed teachers back to work and creating community service schemes to help those in the arts
What was the WPA described as?
Priming the Pump, re-starting the machinery of the economy
What was the NLRA?
The National Labour Relations Act or Wagner Act which upheld the rights of workers to enter into collective bargaining
What did the NRLA cause and create?
It caused 9 million people to be trade union members in 1939and it created the National Relations Board which worked against employers who used unfair practices
What was the FLSA?
Fair Labour Standards Act, which put in maximum hours and minimum wage for all employee’s engaged in interstater commerce
How benefitted from the FLSA?
300,000 people secured higher wages, 1 million had shorter working weeks, and children not on farms were banned from working
What was the SSA?
Social Security Act, the most important reform as the government was now responsible for the basic needs of it’s citizens
What did the SSA provide?
Pension benefits for the elderly, orphaned and those injured in industrial accidents, and also unemployment benefits
What successes were there for the government and president with the New Deal?
It restored faith in the people of the government after laissez-faire of Hoover, and preserved democracy as there was no longer a mass support for right-wing politicians
What were the failures of the government and president with the New Deal?
Roosevelt greatly overextended the power of the federal government and the president, with the feds in control where the state used to be
What were the successes of the New Deal to do with the economy?
It stabilised the banking system and decreased business failures and greatly improved the US infrastructure with roads, schools and power stations
What were the failures of the New Deal to do with the economy?
Only provided short-term solutions so did not fix the US’s underlying economic issues, and the US took longer than most European countries to recover from
What did Roosevelt do in 1937 to do with the economy?
He reduced the budget of the New Deal, which put the country back into recession, showing the weakness of the US economy
What were the success of the New Deal to do with unemployment and industrial workers?
Alphabet Agencies decreased unemployment from 24.9 million in 1933 to 14.3 million four years later, and strengthened the position of trade unions with the NRA
What were the failures of the New Deal to do with unemployment and industrial workers?
Alphabet Agencies only provided short term jobs, with still over 14 million on the dole in 1937 and employers were still suspicious of trade unions, with strikes still met with brutal violence
What were the successes of the New Deal to do social welfare?
SSA made the US a semi-welfare state which included pensions for the elderly and widows and state help for the sick and disabled
What was the opposition for the New Deal in terms of social welfare?
Social welfare measures put too much pressure on tax payers and encouraged people to sponge off the state
What were the successes of the New Deal to do with BA?
200,000 BA gained benefit from the CCC and other New Deal Agencies with others benefitting from slum clearing programmes and housing projects
What were the failures of the New Deal to do with BA?
Many Alphabet Agencies discriminated against BA, often paying them less or not giving them work. Also, Roosevelt did not end discrimination in the Deep South
What were the successes of the New Deal to do with women?
Some women achieved prominent positions in the New Deal with Frances Perkins being the first women to be appointed a cabinet post as Secretary for Labour
What were the failures of the New Deal to do with women?
Some states introduced special qualifications so it didn’t have to pay women social security payments, as well as the NIRA having women being paid less and very few women were in the CCC
Who was Huey Long and why did he oppose the New Deal?
Governor of Louisiana, and felt the New Deal did not ‘Share the Wealth’ enough, or fairly
Why did Father Charles Coughlin oppose the New Deal and what did he do?
He felt it was not doing enough and Roosevelt he labelled as anti-god as he did not help the needy. He made radio broadcasts to 40 million people a week
Why did Dr Frances Townsend oppose the New Deal and what did he do?
He felt the elderly had benefitted little from the New Deal so created his Old Age Revolving Pension Plan, or Townsend Clubs
What was the opposition to the New Deal from Republicans?
They believed Roosevelt was doing too much to help people and changed the role of the government too much
What was backed by Alfred Smith and John Davis, and why did it oppose the New Deal?
The American Liberty League, that felt the New Deal threatened the constitution and freedom of speech
Who and why did Democrats dislike the New Deal?
Southern Conservative Democrats and they disliked the New Deal as the Wagner Act empowered unions
What was Roosevelt’s issue with the Supreme Court?
It was a Republican majority as in the past years there had been few Democrat presidents to elect them, so 11 out of 16 Alphabet Agency cases said FDR acted unconstitutionally
What was the Sick Chickens case?
Schechter brothers sent to court by NRA for selling diseased chickens, brothers did the reversal and went to the Supreme Court saying NRA was doing state work as a federal body, brothers won
What happened in 1936 and what did Roosevelt do because of this?
Roosevelt won a massive majority in the election so tried to retire those over 70 in the supreme court
What was Roosevelt able and unable to do in 1937?
He was able to overthrow the sick chickens case and get the SSA put in place, though he was unable to change the Supreme court and he lost some support
When was Pearl Harbour and how many people died?
7th of December 1941 with 2,400 dead
What changes did Roosevelt make to the government during WW2?
The War Production Board was set up under William Knudsen, as well as the Office for Civilian Defence, further expanding the role of the federal government
What did Roosevelt do with industrialists during WW2?
He used their knowledge and factories to reach a high level of production of supplies
How much of the world’s weapons did the US make in 1944?
Half
What was unemployment figures before and after the war, and how many women starting working?
9.5 million to 670,000 with 7 million more women in work
What were the general benefits of the war?
Total end of the depression, more than 500,000 businesses set up, farmers had a better time as could sell food to allies
What was the Double V campaign?
Victory on the battlefield and at home
What was the FEPC?
Fair Employment Practice Committee, which was to report to the government if there was discrimination in the workplace
What were the failures of female employment after the war?
They willingly gave up their jobs and returned to the home, excluded from top earning jobs, paid 50-60% of men and could be dismissed from job if married
What was the effect of the success of the Communists in China?
Communism was seen as more of a threat
What did Truman talk about in the Red Scare?
The enemy within
Which 2 groups were anti-communist departments of the government?
FBI’s was directed by J. Edgar Hoover who was anti-communist and the FELP searched for communist government employees
What Red Scare department was set up in 1947?
House of Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC
What did the HUAC do most famously?
Infiltrated the film industry, and found 10 apparent communist employees who did not testify on 5th Amendment grounds so were sent to prison
What was the Hiss case?
Alger Hiss who had worked for a Supreme Court judge who was sentenced for 5 years for perjury, after Chambers showed Nixon a roll of microfilm off a pumpkin from Hiss’ typewriter
What heightened fear in the Red Scare?
In 1949 the USSR dropped it’s first atomic bomb, much earlier than expected so spying was accused`
What was the Rosenberg Case
2 previous members of the communist party, with no links to it by 1949 were accused of giving atomic secrets to the USSR, both hanged in 1953
What was the McCarran Internal Security Act?
Communists had to register with the justice department, so they could not work in armaments factories and during war time they could be held in detention camps
Who was Josef McCarthy?
Senator of Wisconsin who created hysteria about communism
What did McCarthy do on 9th February 1950?
Said at a Republican meeting he had the names of 205 communists who were working in the state department
What did was McCarthy made after the 205 speech?
Chairman of the Government Committee of Operations of the Senate
What did McCarthy’s role allow him to do?
Brutally interrogate and ruin the lives of guilty and innocent people
What made McCarthy so strong?
He had no evidence, but it was enough to be accused by him
What did McCarthy’s success allow?
The election of Eisenhower in 1952
What was McCarthy’s mistake?
He attacked the army, where he was met by attorney Josef Welch whose calm method beat McCarthy’s rash and bluff approach
What happened in March 1954?
A programme was televised showing how accusations were based entirely on McCarthy’s words and he had baseless claims, leading to journalists ripping him
What was McCarthy made to reprimand for?
Contempt of a Senate elections sub-committee, abuse of certain senators and insults to the senate during hearings condemning him
What were the effects of McCarthyism?
The hatred of communism never died away, but civil rights gained from it, he had created a climate of fear with Lefty, Red and Commie
Who lead the New Frontier?
Kennedy
What did Kennedy ask people to be?
New Frontiersmen
What was the plan of the New Frontier?
To bring equal rights to BA, make reforms and changes to the US to make it more left leaning
How did Kennedy attempt to make conservatives support the New Frontier?
He named it the New Frontier, to give it the idea of being a fresh start
What was the issue from the start for Kennedy?
He won the 1960 election by a small margin
What made people oppose Kennedy?
He was seen as too young, people distrusted his superior advisor Brain Trust and he was the first catholic president
What did some think the New Frontier was?
Socialist
What group of people did Kennedy create?
Dixiecrats
What was Kennedy really unable to do?
Pass bills
What were the successes of the New Frontier?
Increased social security, raised minimum wage, set up training schemes for unemployed
Why was the work of Lyndon B Johnson overlooked?
It was during the unpopular Vietnam war, and Kennedy was very popular
What did Johnson create?
The Great Society
What was the plan of the Great Society?
To declare war on poverty, to improve health of the poor and old by providing them with a better diet and living conditions and an end to racial injustice
How was Johnson successful in congress?
He was an experienced politician who knew who to get things done, a southerner so able to deal with conservative democrats, and being 6”5 helped as well
What opposition did Republicans provide for the Great Society?
He was accused of wasting money, overspending on welfare and undermining rugged individualism
What was the other failures of Johnson?
He did not tackle issues of riots in cities such as the 6 day Watts riot, ad the Vietnam war took money away from the Great Society
What effect did Watergate have to do with the attitude to politicians?
They only voted for someone they could trust, such as Jimmy Carter
What effect did Watergate have on Nixon’s reputation?
It was utterly destroyed, he was seen as untrustworthy
