Civil Rights in America Flashcards
1
Q
The Emancipation Proclamation.
A
- 1863
- Meant slaves were willing to fight for the north.
- Not for the South
- Impact on victory - War is about emancipation (not just fighting to keep the Union together)
2
Q
What amendments were introduced after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation?
A
- 13th Amendment: End Slavery (1865)
- 14th Amendment: Equality (1868)
- 15th Amendment: Right to vote (1870)
+ Civil Rights Act (1866) gave blacks Civil Rights
+ Military Reconstruction Act (1867) aimed to give blacks political and legal equality.
3
Q
Why were the new amendments not followed?
A
- Loopholes in the Constitution
- Local government juristiction
- No economic aid to the recently freed slaves
4
Q
Economic position of blacks during and after reconstruction.
A
- Reconstruction failed to bring economic gains to blacks.
- Blacks had gained freedom of movement but lacked the wealth to develop a succesful lifestyle.
- Most remained trapped in poverty, working as farmers in the south.
5
Q
Political position of blacks during and after reconstruction.
A
- Lincoln’s Republican party acquired the black votes having advocated the equal voting rights for some time.
- Blacks were elcted to local and state office however there was no black, Southern governor during Reconstruction.
- Only two black US senators both from Mississippi.
6
Q
Why were blacks unable to dominate Southern politics during reconstruction?
A
- Lacked education, organisation and experience
- accustomed to white leadership and domination
- Black community was divided
- Ex-slaves resented free-born blacks who saw themselves as superior - Blacks were a minority in most states
- The Republican Party usually put forward white candidates in the hope of attracting more white voters.
7
Q
How and why was black voting stopped by the 1890s?
A
- Southern whites depicted the reconstruction as a period of black rule, rape, murder and arson.
- They used this excuse to disfranchise blacks.
- White supremacist groups used violence to stop blacks.
- Southern states introduced income and literacy qualifications for voting - penalised more blacks than whites.
- Illiterate whites were allowed to vote through the ‘grandfather clauses’
- A man could vote if it were proved that an ancestor had voted before Reconstruction.
8
Q
Blacks and the Supreme Court
A
- SC did nothing about the Jim Crow Laws that legalised segregation.
- Seperate but equal laws were not against the 14th.
- The SC also failed to uphold the 15th - meaning that southern states followed the SC rather than the Constitution.
9
Q
Plessy vs Ferguson
A
- 1896
- Homer A. Plessy sat in a ‘white only’ train carriage
- He thought the SC would protect him under the 14th.
- BUT SC decide intentions of the amendment here not to allow for comingling
- “Seperate but equal”
- Used as justification for 20 states to implement legal segregation
10
Q
What was the Civil Rights situation in America by 1914?
A
- Segregation by education (whites = 10x more funding)
- KKK
- “Seperate but equal”
- (Campaigns against) lynching
- Advocacy groups
- Migration to the north
- Minimal Political rights
- Segregated Armed Forces (Harlem Hell fighters)
11
Q
The two political parties and their opinion on Civil Rights in the 19th + 20th Century.
A
Democrats:
- Pro-Slavery
Republicans:
- Anti-slavery
HOWEVER:
- Roosevelt = Democrat
- Pro Civil Rights
12
Q
Eisenhower and his Chief Justice
A
- President has power to appoint new SC Chief Justice
- Earl Warren appointed Chief Justice (Life tenure)
- Ends up being a Liberal Appointment
13
Q
Brown vs Topeka Board of Education
A
- 1954
- Oliver Brown argued that segregation in Education is not equal.
- Thurgood Marshall: Brown’s Lawyer
- NAACP
- First African-American Judge on SC - SC votes 9-0 in favour of Brown
- Declared unequal
- Unequal funding / teaching resources
- Violates 14th - Eisenhower does not support Brown
14
Q
Reaction to Brown vs Topeka
A
- Brown II
- Desegregate all with deliberate speed - Southern Manifesto
- Over 100 signatures
- Backed by Politicians
- Violating 14th
- Going against SC ruling
- Prevent desegregation of schools and stop further desegregation
15
Q
Massive Resistance
A
- Ends in 1959
- Deemed unconstitutional
- By 1964, still only 5% attended with white children
- ‘Little Rock Nine’ introduced
16
Q
The ‘Little Rock Nine’
A
- Selected to attend Little Rock Central High School for School Year beginning 1957.
- “Blood would run in the streets if black students attempted to enter LRCHS”
- Orval Faubus, Governor of Arkansas - Faubus sends state troops to stop students
- Eisenhower sends Federal troops
- Passive defence of students - Elizabeth Eckford
17
Q
Other cases
A
- Moore vs Dempsey (1923)
- Asked for the freedom of 12 supposedly innocent on the grounds of biased court rulings
- 6-2 in favour of Moore - Terry vs Adams (1953)
- Whites-only primary was unconstitutional
- Federal enforcement was ineffective - Smith vs Allright (1944)
- Outlawed attempts to prevent blacks from voting in primary elections - Morgan vs Virginia (1946)
- Prohibited segregation on interstate transport - McLaurin vs Oklahoma State University (1950)
- Upheld the rights of black students to recieve equal Higher Education
18
Q
Social position of blacks up to 1954
A
- Blacks stigmatized against in media
- Birth of a Nation (1916)
- Film portraying blacks as rapists, violent and uncivilised. - Harlem Renaissance (1930s)
- Pride and celebrated celebrities - Whites felt threatened of the blacks becoming equal
- Many supported legislation that explored loopholes in the constitution
- People became increasingly willing to join extremist groups such as the KKK - Great Migration: Ghettos
- Lynching still prevalent until Dyer Bill (1954)
- Civil Rights groups
- NAACP (National Association for the advancement of Coloured People)
- NUL (National Urban League)
- UNIA-ACL (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League) - Elaine Massacre (1919)
- 300 blacks arrested, 122 charged with crimes
- 12 tried and convicted of murder
- Moore vs Dempsey - Blacks portrayed as rapists to promote lynching.
- Army desegregated
19
Q
Economic position of blacks up to 1954
A
- 700,000 blacks to find work in war factories
- Unemployment of blacks fell by 85% during the war
- Black wages were still lower
- Trade Unions that campaigned for better working conditions
- BSCP (Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters)
- FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) - 1929 and 1932: Black unemployment reached 60% in some cities.
- In the South, the average wage was less than half of the North.
- In the North, black Americans were not accepted by Trade Unions
- Forced into worst and lowest paid jobs
20
Q
Causes of the Montgomery bus boycott
A
- Rosa Parks sitting in a white-only section of a bus
- Arrested 1 December 1955
- E.D. Nixon: Lawyer
- Clifford Durr
21
Q
The Montgomery Bus boycott
A
- 5 December 1955
- Initially one day of Boycotting
- 381 days
22
Q
Was the Montgomery Bus Boycott as significant as people remember?
A
- Not the NAACP’s first victory after Brown vs Topeka.
- Blacks returned to the buses over a year later (21 December 1956)
- Snipers shot at buses and bombs were set off.
- Buses after 5pm were suspended. - Local campaign:
- Took a long time with only a small amount achieved. - Jim Crow laws remained in Alabama.
23
Q
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was significant.
A
- One of the first major wins of the Civil Rights Mvt.
- Achieved desegregation of buses
- Local however MLK rose to prominence as a Civil Rights leader.
- Gained international attention
24
Q
The possible causes of the Greensboro sit-in
A
- Brown vs Topeka (1954)
- Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-6)
- Lynching of Emmet Till (Wolf-whistling)
25
The Greensboro Sit-ins
- 1960
- Woolworths in Greensboro, N. Carolina
- Segregated lunch counter
- SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee)
- Greensboro four: Blair, McCain, McNeil, Richmond
- Well-dressed, smart students
- Unarmed, peaceful: sat at counter doing work
- More than 300 people became involved
- Woolworths was forced to temporarily close
- Woolworths sales dropped by over 1/3
- 25 July 1960: Desegregation of Woolworths began
26
Protests inspired by the Greensboro sit in.
- James Lawson organised protests in Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenesse) with 'Rules of Conduct'
- Within weeks, 30 cities were engaging in sit-ins
27
The Freedom Rides
- May 4 1961
- Protestors testing the SC ruling that segregation was illegal
- Variety of protestors: whites, blacks, women, men, young, old
- All were beaten and arrested
- Buses were set on fire
- No Police protection
- ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission)
- Imposed $500 fines
- Robert Kennedy helped to enforce SC ruling.
- Gained widespread media attention
28
The freedom summer
- 1964
- A voter registration project in Mississippi by Civil Rights groups such as CORE (Congress On Racial Equality)
- Council of Federated Organisations (COFO): NAACP, SCLC, CORE, SNCC, NUL
- Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner
- MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party)
- Challenge MDP (all-white)
- Voter Education Project (VEP)
- 500,000 blacks registered to vote
- Helped by R. Kennedy, Federal government offered no protection
- Volunteers recruited
- White students
- Freedom Schools
- Politicise, teach about Civil Rights movement, African American History, the constitution
29
Why was the freedom summer held in Mississippi?
- Only 1% of 400,000 were registered to vote in Mississippi.
- Encourage voter registration
- Blacks were politically powerless
- White students recieved 3x as much funding
30
The freedom Summer was succesful
- Involvement of whites and people from different states and societies
- Generates publicity
- Raised awareness - Voters Registration Act
- MFDP
31
The succes of the freedom summer was limited
- Only 1,600 out of 17,000 who tired to gain the vote
- Limited success
- Fractured unified Civil Rights movements
- Peaceful vs Violent
32
The Civil Rights Act
- 1964
- LBJ used JFK's memory as a way to help pass the act.
- Persuaded many Republicans and all living ex-presidents to support the Act
- Passed in House of Representatives and the Senate
- HoR = 290-130 (D= 152-96, R= 138-34)
- Senate = 73-27
- Political triumph for LBJ and the Civil Rights Movement
- The tactic of working with the government rather than against it had succeeded
33
The march on Selma
- The concern after the passing of the Civil Rights Act is that the South would not adhere to the laws.
- MLK and the SCLC picked Selma as their focus
- Their Sheriff Jim Clark was known to be racist.
- The first two attempts were unsuccesful.
- The first was forcibly turned back by Police
- The second was delayed due to legal technicalities
- The third effort was a success and had federal backing (LBJ). 25,000 people joined the largest march ever in the South.
34
The Voting Rights Act
- 1965
- Plenty of public support so passing the act was little more than a formality.
- Another success for the movement
35
Why were there still underlying issues in the movement?
- Division and discord was beginning to emerge
- Some SCLC members were getting impatient with non-violent protests.
- They pointed to MLK's weak surrender during the second attempt at the Selma march.
- Pessimism was also creeping in that the whites would never accept the blacks as equal.
36
Groups and individuals
- Groups:
- SNCC
- SCLC*
- NAACP°
- CORE
- Individuals
- Marshall°
- Warren
- Malcolm X
- MLK°
- Rosa Parks and E.D. Nixon
- Brown
- Eisenhower
- JFK
- LBJ
37
The SCLC (Southern Christian Leaders Conference) were significant
- Employed non-violent tactics
- Directly associated with the Montgomery Bus Boycott
- Churches provided sanctuaries
- Rev. R.D. Abernathy and MLK were significant leaders
- Open to all races and religions.
38
Martin Luther King was significant
- Personified the movement (55-68)
- Martyr for black rights after his assassination
- Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
- United Civil Rights groups in the South.
39
The SCLC (Southern Christian Leaders Conference) were not significant
- Other groups were more significant as they lead larger campaigns.
- Freedom Summer, Brown vs Topeka etc.
- Lost influence in 1960s and after death of MLK.
- Montgomery Bus Boycott was not actually that succesful.
- Criticised for use of non-violent approach even after death of MLK.
40
Martin Luther King was not significant
- Never held any official position
- Turning political theory into reality
- already achieved on paper and in law
- The movement had plenty of martyrs
- No role in desegregation of education
- Judged for his charisma rather than his ability to be a Civil Rights strategist.
- Recent historians such as Carson have challenged the previous 'King-centric' view.
41
The SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) were significant
- Organised sit-ins in Southern College towns
- Generated white support and sympathy: non-violent
- Brought National attention
- 1966: Threw support behind the wider protest against the Vietnam War
42
The SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) were not significant
- After a Conference discussing leading protests in 1960 a much less significant SNCC developed
- More radical towards the end of the campaign
- Advocated the 'black power' movement
- Got more media attention than actually doing something for Civil Rights.
43
John F. Kennedy was significant
- Elected on the idea of improving Civil Rights
- Very popular with the black community (70% of black vote)
- Came up with Civil Rights bill
- Vocally supported desegregation
44
John F. Kennedy was not significant
- Election victory was narrow
- Lots of opposition
- Couldn't improve Civil Rights
- Didn't actually achieve anything (due to assassination)
45
Lyndon B. Johnson was significant
- Supported Civil rights
- Implemented the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965)
- Sent a Civil Rights bill to the US Congress in 1966.
- Sent troops to Detroit in 1967 to stop rioting
46
Lyndon B. Johnson was not significant
- Public attitude vs early career
- Used to campaign against Civil Rights
- Influenced by Texan background
- Radical private prejudice
- The Civil Rights Act was Kennedy's idea
- Limited black politcal power, employment, housing etc. for blacks after the voting Rights Act.
47
The NOI (Nation of Islam) were significant
- Advocated forceful self-defence
- Repelled white liberals
- Became more popular in late 60s and early 70s.
48
The NOI (Nation of Islam) were not significant
- "All talk and little action"
| - "White devil"
49
Malcom X was significant
- Advocated black pride and violence as a means of self-defence
- Influenced black political agendas which led to success in the Civil Rights Movement.
- Left a Political legacy
- Converted the movement from Civil Rights to Human Rights.
- Impressive oratory skills
- He gave a voice to the "little, meek, humble, inarticulate ex-slave"
50
Malcom X was not significant
- 1964: advocated a less violent approach to race relations and came close to reconciling the mainstream movement.
- Alienated the whites which he rejected the aid of.
- Thurgood Marshal on Malcom X:
- "I see no reason to say he is a great person, a great negro ... What did he even do? Name me one thing he ever did."
