An Evaluation Of The Obstacles To The Achievement Of Civil Rights For Black People, Up To 1941

Question 1

Introduction - Context

To what extent can it be argued that the activities of the Ku Klux Klan was the main obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for black people before 1941. (22)

Answer 1

• Civil rights are rights that people have in a society which provide protection from discrimination.
• In 1776, the Declaration of Independence declared that all American people were to be equal, free and happy with the same rights. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln passes the Emancipation Proclamation, ‘that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free’.
• However, the Federal Government passed the ‘Separate but Equal’ law which started segregation and racial tensions were fuelled across America but especially in the South against Black Americans.

Question 2

Introduction - LOA

Answer 2

• The activities of the Ku Klux Klan was in fact the most important factor for the main obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.

Question 3

Introduction - Factors

Answer 3

• However, there were other key factors as obstacles for the achievement of civil rights for Black people such as Legal Impediments, Lack of Political Influence and Divisions of the Black Community.

Question 4

The Activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - Explain + Evidence

Answer 4

• The activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were the most important factor which caused an obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.
• This is because there was widespread support for the KKK across America, in 1925, 40,000 Klansmen marched through Washington which proved their widespread support.
• To support this evidence further, one witness stated, ‘But once we saw 40,000 of the Klan marching through our Capital, well, nobody laughed anymore’.
• This quote implies that people were shocked to discover the vast amount of people who supported the KKK, and the author is saying that no one thought the support was fictional anymore as they were seeing it for themselves.

Question 5

The Activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - Analysis

Answer 5

• Arguably, this shows the Ku Klux Klan was the most important obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 as the widespread support made a significant barrier to civil rights, it meant there was huge support for the continuation of segregation as more and more people were starting to follow the KKK mentality of racism and White Supremacy, therefore when the KKK begun parading in the street with their large numbers people began to see that they actually did impose a threat to Black Americans.

Question 6

The Activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - Explain + Evidence Reinforce

Answer 6

• Furthermore, the activities of the Ku Klux Klan were the most important reason which caused an obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 as the KKK were renowned for their use of terror and brutality, they would threaten people with the threat of being kidnapped, whipped or murdered in what was called ‘lynching’, 416 Black Americans were killed in lynchings from 1918-1927.

Question 7

The Activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - Reinforce Analysis

Answer 7

• Arguably, this shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black People as the KKK were a dangerous threat to Black Americans and ultimately stood in the way of them gaining civil rights as they were too scared to vote in case of repercussions, like lynching, which meant they had no say in choosing laws which might improve their lives and protect them from terror and brutality.

Question 8

The Activities of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - Evaluation

Answer 8

• In evaluation, the activities of the KKK is a more important reason than factors such as Divisions in the Black Community for the obstacles to the achievement of civil rights for Black people as the KKK had many members spread across the USA not just in the Southern states and they were using acts of brutality, such as kidnappings and murder, to impose fear on Black Americans to try and stop them from creating a movement for Civil Rights.
• A historian Frederick Lewis Allen stated the Klan was ‘a movement conceived in fear and perpetuated fear and brought with it all manner of cruelties and crimes’.
• This shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as the KKK used fear tactics on Black Americans living in America to stop them from attempting to rise up and have any kind of civil rights in America.
• Therefore, this supports the fact that the activities of the Ku Klux Klan were the main obstacle for Black Americans achieving civil rights before 1941.

Question 9

Legal Impediments - Explain + Evidence

Answer 9

• Legal Impediments was also a significant reason as to why there was obstacles for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.
• Jim Crow laws were laws passed between 1879 and 1900, these laws made sure Black and White Americans were kept separate, ‘segregated’.
• Many people in the USA said that the Jim Crow laws meant that Black and White Americans had ‘Separate but Equal’ facilities.

Question 10

Legal Impediments - Analysis

Answer 10

• Arguably, this shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black People as these laws were designed to control Black Americans and deemed them as ‘lesser’ people.
• Segregation allows for an increased belief in White Supremacy and further support from White society to maintain this established status quo.
• To further this analysis, Historians Green and Cheatham stated Jim Crow was ‘the legal means by which White superiority was maintained’, and therefore Jim Crow laws legitimised a racially divisive activity that isolated the Black community from the White community.
• So, these laws made racism worse across America and made White Supremacy grow.

Question 11

Legal Impediments - Explain + Evidence Rebuttal

Answer 11

• Furthermore, the Jim Crow laws were an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people due to the Plessy V Ferguson case.
• In 1892, Homer Plessy objected to being told to move from a ‘Whites only’ seat on a train and he was arrested.
• He lost his case as the Supreme Court sided with the states saying these laws, ‘do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other.’
• This was called the ‘Separate but Equal’ decision.

Question 12

Legal Impediments - Rebuttal Analysis

Answer 12

• Arguably, this shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as states in the South reinforced their racial segregation laws and made no effort to provide equal services after the Supreme Courts judgement, therefore, making segregation acceptable widened the inequality gap between White and Black people.

Question 13

Legal Impediments - Evaluation

Answer 13

• In evaluation, legal impediments were a reason for the obstacles to civil rights for Black people before 1941 as the Plessy V Ferguson case made southern states reinforce segregation laws and further lessened the equality between White and Black Americans as the Federal Government were openly supporting segregation and the Jim Crow laws reinforced segregation and begun the ‘separate but equal’ decision.
• Nevertheless, the activities of the KKK were the most important reason for the obstacles for the achievement of civil rights for Black People as a new KKK emerged in 1915 as a response to new immigration and by 1924-25 their membership was at around 3 million, this was the first time KKK membership wasn’t limited to Southern states suggesting as obstacle for the achievement for civil rights for Black people.

Question 14

Lack of Political Influence - Explain + Evidence

Answer 14

• Lack of Political Influence was also a significant obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.
• In 1898, the Supreme Court had ruled the court case of Mississippi vs. Williams that they did not think that it was discrimination for states to impose voting qualification as it applied to all voters, in 1900, 180,000 Black people were registered to vote in Alabama, by 1902, only 3,000 were registered.

Question 15

Lack of Political Influence - Analysis

Answer 15

• Arguably, this shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as if Black peoples couldn’t vote, then they could not elect politicians who would oppose the Jim Crow laws and support civil rights and in order to serve on a jury you had to have the vote therefore this mean that very few Black people were on the juries so verdicts were being reinforced via racism. In further support of this analysis Historian Robert A Pratt states, ‘These various schemes, ruses and subterfuges…effectively reduced the number of eligible Black voters’, which shows states were trying to do whatever they could to find loopholes in legislation to take away Black Americans votes.

Question 16

Lack of Political Influence - Explain + Evidence Reinforce

Answer 16

• Furthermore, lack of political influence was an obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people as there was lack of federal support for civil rights for Black people as Presidents of the 1920’s to 1930’s were unwilling to take action to end the overt social, political and economic discrimination directed towards Black Americans
• Many Presidents of the time were openly racist for example, Woodrow Wilson openly supported the KKK ideas.

Question 17

Lack of Political Influence -Analysis Reinforce

Answer 17

• Arguably, this shows an obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 as it can be argued that the Federal government, including Presidents, were an obstacle for civil rights as they did little to enforce equality legislation or challenge state governments decisions as they did not want to lose votes or were openly racist so believed the legislations being passed were correct.

Question 18

Lack of Political Influence - Evaluation

Answer 18

• In evaluation, lack of political influence was an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as the Supreme Court were passing rulings that it was okay to impose voting qualifications as it applied to all races although it truly only affected Black Americans and allowed for further discrimination in Southern states and the Federal Government were doing nothing to stop the rise of discrimination against Black people.
• Nevertheless, the KKK is still the most important obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 because while the federal state members were influential, the collective of the KKK was of more influence due to activities such as at lynchings where photographs would be taken and often sold on postcards which depicted perpetrators laughing and smiling, one postcard read, ‘This is the barbecue we had last night’.
• This shows that Klan activity was becoming a more normalised occurrence.
• This very clearly shows the activities of the KKK was the main obstacle for Black people achieving civil rights.

Question 19

Divisions in the Black Community - Explain + Evidence

Answer 19

• Divisions in the Black community were an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.
• Booker T. Washington established the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama which gave Black children an education with a focus on practical skills such as farming and brick making.
• The great success of the school made Washington believe Black people could only advance if they were educated and they should not antagonise White people but should gain respect through hard work and education.

Question 20

Divisions in the Black Community - Analysis

Answer 20

• Arguably this shows an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 as Washington did actually increase opportunities for Black people, however he was criticised by Black leaders as they did not believe they would gain respect through eduction.

Question 21

Divisions in the Black Community - Reinforce Explain + Evidence

Answer 21

• Furthermore, divisions in the black community were an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 as W.E.B. Dubois began the civil rights movement though the N.A.A.C.P in 1909.
• Dubois demanded full civil rights, the end of segregation and equality of opportunities in all aspects of life.
• The NAACP included white campaigners and used legal action to fight to improve life for Black Americans.

Question 22

Divisions in the Black Community - Reinforce Analysis

Answer 22

• Arguably, this seems as though it was good for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as they campaigned against lynching and in 1925 the Supreme Court declared the ‘grandfather clause’ however, although they had 91000 members in 1919 it failed to win over the mass of ordinary Black people so little progress was made.

Question 23

Divisions in the Black Community - Evaluation

Answer 23

• In evaluation, Divisions in the Black community were an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as Dubois helped pass legislation through the Supreme Court with the help of the NAACP however their cause did not gain support from ordinary Black Americans, so they did not progress very much in the achievement of civil rights and Booker T. Washington wanted to spread the message that Black people could gain respect through education.
• Nevertheless, the activities of the KKK was still the main obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black peoples before 1941 as many judges, lawyers, teachers were Klan members, this is how it became known as the ‘Invisible Empire’ as a result of this, the Klan were able to influence the law and lawmakers suggests the Klan was the main obstacle for civil rights for Black Americans.

Question 24

Conclusion

Answer 24

• In conclusion, there were many factors for the obstacles to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941 such as the activities of the Ku Klux Klan, legal impediments, lack of political influence and divisions in the Black community.
• Legal impediments were an obstacle for the achievement of civil rights as in the Plessy V Ferguson case the Supreme Court sided with the states and called the decision ‘Separate but Equal’ which reinforced segregation by race and widened inequality across America but especially in the Southern states.
• However, this is less of an obstacle than the activities of the KKK as their brutality led to the deaths of 416 Black Americans in 1918-1927 due to lynchings across America.
• Lack of political influence was also a major obstacle for the achievement of civil rights for Black people as the Mississippi vs. Williams case allowed states to further impose voting qualifications and by 1902 only 3,000 Black Americans were registered voters in Alabama.
• However, lack of political influence is not as important as the activities of the Ku Klux Klan because the KKK had the support of the ‘Invisible Empire’, so they were able to influence laws and make the achievement of civil rights almost impossible for Black Americans.
• Divisions in the Black community were of great importance because Dubois and the NAACP began the Civil Rights Movement for Black Americans as they used legal action to improve the lives of Black people across America and demanded full civil rights and equal opportunity in all aspects of life.
• However, the Ku Klux Kan is the most important pivotal factor because the Klan were openly marching through the streets of Washington D.C in 1925 with 40,000 Klansmen in attendance, this built the belief that the Klan was a real threat and racism was spreading across America and the belief in segregation and White supremacy was fast growing.
• Therefore, the activities of the Ku Klux Klan were the most significant obstacle to the achievement of civil rights for Black people before 1941.

Question 25

Popular Prejudice - Explain + Evidence

Answer 25

• By moving north, Black Americans saw a chance for a better life and to escape prejudice.
• However, many White Americans blamed the housing shortages in cities like New York on the swift population growth from the South.
• Popular prejudice led to rents being higher for Black Americans than White Americans: in Chicago in 1910, a 7 room apartment for working
  class White Americans cost $25 a week but $37.50 a week for Black Americans.

Question 26

Popular Prejudice - Analysis

Answer 26

• Therefore Black Americans could only afford to live in the poorest areas of northern cities and these developed
  into ghettoes (e.g. Harlem in NYC) with very poor standards of living which people found it hard to escape. This was made worse by employment prejudice.

Question 27

Popular Prejudice - Explain + Evidence Reinforcement

Answer 27

-Most Black Americans were seen as uneducated and unskilled were paid less than White Americans workers
- If a migrant Black Americans was more educated and skilled than a White Americans, the White Americans would get the priority in the job market
- Most Black Americans were excluded from skilled work by trade unions and racially prejudiced employers.
- This was made worse with soldiers returning from WW1 infuriated because they saw migrant Black Americans as a threat to jobs

Question 28

Popular Prejudice - Reinforcement Analysis

Answer 28

• As a result, most Black Americans in the north were concerned about meeting their basic needs, not about getting involved in campaigns to try to improve their lives (so this prevented movement for civil rights from advancing).