America: African Americans And The New Deal

Question 1

Before the new deal who did African Americans tend to vote for?

Answer 1

Republicans- they abolished slavery
By the end of FDRs first term it was one of the most dramatic voter shifts in US history

Question 2

In 1936, how many African American voters supported the democrats and why?

Answer 2

75%
Because of FDRs spending on programs that gave them relief from the depression
The republicans previously had done little to repay the support of black voters

Question 3

Why did Roosevelt not have the best civil rights record?

Answer 3

In order to pass major new deal legislation he needed support from southern democrats, and to not antagonise whites in the south
His wife.eleanor did make a stand for CR support

Question 4

What was the resettlement administration?

Answer 4

African Americans were still suffering problems of continuing depression in 1937
This was set up to provide money and housing
3’400 of 200’000 black farmers who had lost their homes were supported

Question 5

What did some African Americans sign in 1939?

Answer 5

Around 2 million signed a petition for federal aid to move back to Africa

Question 6

Executive order 8802

Answer 6

June 1941
Banned racial discrimination in the defence industry
And set up the FEPC

Question 7

Give 4 programs of the New deal that did discriminate against blacks

Answer 7

NRA-national recovery administration
FHA- federal housing authority
CCC-civilian conservation corps
Social security act

Question 8

How did the national recovery administration discriminate against black Americans/

Answer 8

They offered whites the first crack at jobs
500’000 black Americans lost their jobs to white
They authorised seperate and lower pay scales for them

Question 9

How did the federal housing authority discriminate?

Answer 9

Refused to guarantee mortgages for African Americans who tried to buy in white neighbourhoods

Question 10

How did the civilian conservation corps discriminate?

Answer 10

Maintained segregated camps

Question 11

How did the social security act discriminate?

Answer 11

It excluded the jobs that blacks people traditionally filled

Question 12

What was the impact of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration on African Americans?

Answer 12

It hit them hard because 40% of all black workers made their living as sharecroppers and tenant farmers
White landlords could make more money by leaving land unharmed
AAA policies forced more than 100’000 blacks off farmland in 1933&1934

Question 13

What bill did FDR fail to support?

Answer 13

Anti-lynching bill

Question 14

Give some examples of how the new deal lead to successes in civil rights

Answer 14

FDR appointed Mary McLeod Bethune, a black educator to the advisory committee of the National Youth administration- blacks received a share of the NYA funds because of her efforts
The Works progress administration was color-blind and blacks in northern cities benefited from their programs
Harold Ickes was a strong CR supporter and poured federal funds into black schools and hospitals

Question 15

What programs did African Americans also benefit from and why?

Answer 15

Federal housing programs because they were often poorest
1/3 low income housing had black tenants

Question 16

How did federal housing programs still manage to maintain segregation?

Answer 16

To qualify for federal funding, builders were required to ‘preserve the racial composition of neighbourhoods”

Question 17

What other civil rights progress was there in the 1930s?

Answer 17

Many black church organisations set up systems for black citizens in the depressions.g. Harlem- the Peace Commission Church set up stores and restaurants that sold goods to black people at a lower price than white shops
Housewives league- a woman’s organisation that boycotted shops in black districts until they hired back citizens
African Americans also recieved support from the communist party e.g. scotsboro boys case