Civil Rights In The US Flashcards
1
Q
Two effects of HUAC
A
,1. Increased the fear of communism within the US
- grounds for investigation was vague -> made it appear that the internal communist threat was greater than it was
- Violated the civil rights / liberties of those accused
- public and confrontational
- often violated the 5th amendment (right to remain silent)
2
Q
Two effects of the Hiss and Rosenberg case
A
- Increased the fear of communist threat in the US
- both were genuine cases of espionage from Govt officials - Increased government repression of the perceived communist threat
- McCarran Internal Security Act (1950): required for communist organisation members to register with the US govt
- McCarran Act strengthened in 1952 - prohibited communists from holding US passports, participating the military etc
3
Q
Two effects of Murder of Emmett Till,
A
- Raised public awareness of violent racism in the south
- Motivated and mobilised black Americans to take an active role to bring about change. E.g. Rosa parks bus boycott
4
Q
Two effects of Brown vs Topeka,1954
A
- Progress towards desegregation
- Challenged Plessy v Ferguson, which used the ‘separate but equal’ argument
- inherently illegal and that schools should integrate with ‘all possible speed
- demonstrated a precedent for further desegregation - Backlash from white racists
- Many schools resisted integration -> schools closed to resist integration
- By 1957 not a single school in the Deep South was integrated
- the KKK and White Citizen Council resisted violently
5
Q
Two effects of the Montgomery bus boycott,Montgomery bus boycott (1955-6)
A
- Progress towards desegregation
- desegregation of bus lines in Montgomery
- Browder v Gayle (1956): deemed segregation in transports illegal
- Set a precedent for desegregation in transports - Demonstration of effectiveness of non-violent mass action tactics
- Bus boycott lasted for 381 days, with support from black community
- Carpooling system with 300 cars
- Shoes donation
- the city was desperate to end the boycott as bus lines losts 30,000 to 40,000 bus fares per day (profits down by 65%, 1m loss total)
- inspired other actions such as Tallahassee bus boycott
6
Q
Developement of Little Rock High School (1957
A
nine black students tried to enroll to Little Rock High School
- verbally abused by white racists
- Arkansas governor Faubus order state troops to escort them home
- Eisenhower orders 1,200 federal troops to protect the black students
7
Q
Two effects of Little Rock High School
A
- Progress to desegregation
- Presidential involvement: Eisenhower sent 1200 federal troops to protect the black students to go to school
- Increased optimism in federal actions
- Showed the importance of media (photographs, broadcast)
- Supreme Court stood by Brown decision so schools were forced to integrate - Showed that there were serious obstacles confronting civil rights
- Faubus closed all high schools in Arkansas
- This had the effect of … because it was clear that Southern authorities could not be relied upon for integration progress
8
Q
Two effects of Civil Rights Act (1957)
A
- Practical effects
- Allowed prosecutions of people who obstruct Afro-Americans voting - Symbolic effect
- Legislative victory for civil rights -> first federal civil rights act in 85 yrs
9
Q
Tactics of Sit-ins,1960 - protest against the segregation of lunch counters
A
- large scale sit-ins (in many cities, 1st mass campaign)
- non violence as a response to hostile white mobs
- refusal to pay bail (‘jail no bail’)
- establishment of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee)
- used media attention
10
Q
Two effect of sit-ins
A
,1. Led to desegregation of Woolworth’s lunch counters
- Desegregation of lunch counters and stores in Woolsworths in 120 towns in the South
- BECAUSE of the economic pressures on businesses -> profits lost
- Negative attention, leading to support from President Eisenhower and Mayor of Tennessee
- Formation of SNCC
- More confrontational mass direct action
- Inspired other similar style protests (‘read-ins’ in libraries, ‘pray-ins’ in churches etc)
11
Q
Freedom Rides,1961
A
13 riders travel on two interstate buses
- force presidential action in favour for integrating interstate buses
- Anniston, AL: Greyhound bus firebombed
- Birmingham, AL: Trailways passengers beaten by white mob
- JFK negotiated with AL governor Bull Connor
- No success -> JFK threatened to send federal troops
- Bull Connor capitulated and sent state troops until Montgomery -> freedom riders beaten in Montgomery
- JFK threatened again to send federal troops
- State troops deployed to escort until Mississippi
- Riders arrested in Mississippi -> jail no bail
- JFK ordered the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce desegregation
12
Q
Two effects of Freedom Riders,
A
- Led to enforcement of integration on interstate transport by getting Presidential action
- With Bull Connor refusing to cooperate, JFK was forced to threaten with the deployment of federal troops - Demonstrated the effectiveness of direct, confrontation tactics
13
Q
Meredith Case,1962
A
Meredith tried to enroll into University of Mississippi
- Rejected by Ole Miss - not a single black person enrolled by ‘61
- Meredith and NAACP filed a lawsuit against Ole Miss for discrimination - state courts defended the Uni but the federal courts ruled that the uni was wrong
- State governor encouraged a state legislature to forbid people found guilty of a crime from going to unis
- Federal court ruled in favour of Meredith again
- When Meredith enrolled -> huge backlash from white racists -> KKK burned crosses on Campus + racists assaulted him
- JFK sent 2000 federal troops to maintain order + spoke publicly condeming the white violence
14
Q
Two effects of the Meredith case
A
- Highlighted the importance of Supreme Court decisions to further civil rights
- the federal court ruled in favour of Meredith over both appeals - Prompted presidential enforcement action leading to better integration of universities
- JFK sent 2000 federal troops to maintain order + spoke publicly condeming the white violence
15
Q
Two effects of March on Washington
A
- Demonstrated the extent of support on the civil rights movement
- 250 000 people attended
- widely publicised on newspapers, radio and TV
- showed unity of all civil rights mvts (SCLC, SNCC, NAACP, CORE)
- celebrities like Bob Dylan
- famous speeches: MLK I Have A Dream
- Kennedy gave a speech after the March reiterating his support to put the Civil Right Bill through congress - Pressured JFK’s administeration to put through the Civil Rights Bill
- an end to racial segregation in public schools
- meaningful civil rights legislation, incl. prohibiting discrimination in employment
- protection of civil rights workers from police brutality
- a $2 minimum wage for all workers
- self-government for Washington, D.C., then governed by congressional committee.
16
Q
Civil Rights Act of 1964,KEY PROVISIONS
A
- segregation and discrimination made illegal in public places, education and businesses
- empowered the federal Attorney General to bring lawsuits against segregations -> speed up enforcements
- Equal Opportunities Commission to investigate discrimination in employment -> (on grounds of sex also illegal)
- Voter registeration tests had to be fair and equal for black and white people
17
Q
Two effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
A
- Ended segregation
- Limited progress against discrimination in employment and voting rights
- Voter registration tests remain
- Provisions for equality in employment lacked enforcement apparatus
18
Q
Two effects of Mississippi Freedom Summer (1964)
A
- Little increase in black voter registration
- Only an additional 1600 black people registered to vote
- Opposition from racists + literacy tests remain + fear of violent / economic reprisals if they attempted to vote
- No federal action - Raised national awareness of the issue
- National publicity - 3 activists murdered
- Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party set up - 80000 members - given representation at the Democratic Party convention to raise awareness
19
Q
Timeline Selma Campaign,
A
1965,Encouraging black people to vote by forming queues outside the Voter Enrolment Center
Brutally attacked by police
March from Selma to Montgomery
1st attempt - suppressed violently by police @ Pettus Bridge
2nd attempt - led by MLK - turnaround @ Pettus Bridge - resent from some black activists for moderate approach
Johnson spoke on TV condeming the racism + promised to introduce a voting rights bill
3rd Successful w/ federal troops help
Voting rights bill passed
20
Q
Two effects of Voting Rights Act 1965
A
- Growing spit within the civil rights movement between the moderate mainstream and the more miliant sections
- Turnaround Tuesday during the attempt to cross Pettus Bridge - seen as a concession to racists
- Some were frustrated with MLK’s domination of the movement
- SNCC became more militant - Voting Rights Act 1965
- Ended the uses of tests
- Significantly increased the numbers of black Americans (7% in 1964 to 68% in Mississippi in 1968)
21
Q
Two effects of Malcolm X
A
- Promoted black pride and black empowerment
- set up the Organisation for Afro American Unity
- establish support and connections black people in Africa
- highlighted that it was not just a civil right problem (just America) but a wider human rights problem (global)
- rejected the term Negro and promoted ‘African-American’
- in his speeches he highlighted ALL the ways that white supremacy had been detrimental - incl. socio-economic disadvantage - Diverted away from the mainstream civil rights movement
- a more miliant approach - ‘whatever means necessary’
- called the March ‘Farce on Washington’
- influenced Watts Riots where protestors chanted ‘Long live Malcolm X’
22
Q
Two effects of the race riots (incl. Watts Riots)
A
- Highlighted the socio-economic problems and discrimination faced in northern cities
- Kerner Report - called to end de facto segregation, the creation of new jobs
- some positive action by federal government to improve conditions
- bring about a shift in the focus of some civil rights campaigners to tackle the problems of northern black Americans (e.g. King’s Chicago Campaign (1966) and Poor People’s Campaign (1968) - Increased militancy and hostilities of the movement
- violence and rioting reported in the media.
- increased militancy (‘patrolling the pigs’) -> fear amongst whites
- Nixon and Ford: supported law and order
- strong policing and suppression of riots, and accusations of police brutality continued.
23
Q
Two effects of Black Power Movement (mid 1960),Leader: Stokely Carmichael
A
- Increased militancy of civil rights protests / campaign groups
- SNCC becoming more militant under Carmichael
- eg black panthers
- frustration with slow progress of mainstream
- tired of accepting relentless abuse - Selma, Birmingham etc.
- wanted to demand rights - rather than to ask - Influenced mainstream civil rights to concern itself with socio-economic problems
- King’s Chicago Campaign (1966),
24
Q
Poor People’s Campaign (1968)
A
- highlighted the socio-economic problems during the race riots
- police brutality responding to Watts Riots seemed to confirm that white authorities were inherently racist
25
Two effects of the Black Panther Movement (est 1966)
1. Some improvement of life in ghettos
- organised clinics to give black people free healthcare
- breakfast clubs for black kids
- ran classes on black history
- 'patrolling the pigs' - Panthers followed white police to prevent the police from abusing black people
2. Increased white hostility
- concerns with the more militant approach of Panthers
- FBI targeted the Panthers - 750 arrested 28 killed
- fear of the 'socialist' elements
- called for federal funding for housing, education, jobs etc
- under the context of Cold War
26
Two effects of King's Chicago Freedom Movement
1. Some limited success
- Mortgage Bankers Association to agree mortgage regardless of race
- federal fund of $4m to improve Chicago housing
2. Failures
- Could not keep the protesters non-violent - 2B worth of damage - loss of support
- low turnout, many did not embrace King's tactics
27
Two effects of the Poor People's campign,
1. Raised awareness of socio-economic inequality
- Socialist agenda
- called for 300,000 houses to be built, fair minimum wage, universal healthcare etc
2. Little positive impact
- Torrential rain in the location of the encampment hugely reduced numbers
- Government officials rejected demands due to fear of socialism.
28
Reasons for the rise in student protests
Youth empowerment - students are usually more rebellious as they are more idealistic - less economic responsibility
Higher number in universities
Inspirations from JFK - 'ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country'
Anti-Vietnam war movement,Against escalating involvement in the Vietnam War
- opposition to American use of chemical weapons e.g. napalm and Agent Orange
- Against Search and Destroy missions such as the My Lai massacre
- In the Tet offensive, 16k US soldiers were killed
29
Two effects of the Anti-Vietnam War Movement
1. Pressure on the Government to pull out of vietnam
- 500k marched in Washington D.C.
- Nixon withdrawed ground troops in 1969
- Paris Accords - full withdrawal (1973)
2. Backlash
- State troops opened fire in Kent State University
- Public polls showed that many people were against the movement
- accused of being disruptive, use of drugs
- in favour of harder govt response
30
Berkeley Free Speech Movement
students insisted that the university administration lift a ban on on-campus political activities and acknowledge the students right to free speech and academic freedom
- attracted opposition, some of whom condemned it as the 'Filthy speech movement'
31
Student Democratic Society,
-Grown to 100,000 members across 150 colleges in the US
- In favour of dirrect democracy
- Protested against restrictive campus regulations
- Criticised the government
32
President Kennedy's Commission on the Status of Women
- Women were typically paid 50% less
- Rarely promoted to management (80% of teachers were female but only 10% were principals
33
Eleanor Roosevelt,
- Held female-only press conference (media companies therefore needed to employ female journalists)
- Broadcasts on television and radio about feminist issues
- She had her own prominent work (help drafted the US Human Rights Act)
- Used her influence in the Democratic Party to help JFK get elected in return of the establishment of the Commission on the status of women
34
Betty Freidan
Feminine Mystique
Articulated the dissastifaction that women felt about discrimination and inequalities
Cofounded NOW
National Organisation for Women
35
Plessy vs Fergusson
A "separate but equal" doctrine that lasted for more then 50 years that ruled that segregation was legal as long as African Americans had access to public facilities equal to whites.
36
Jim Crow Laws
laws in the South that enforced segregation
37
white flight
white people started leaving integrated schools because of black Americans
38
Browder v. Gayle
using Brown v Topeka precedent it won because it violated the 14th Amendment
- made segregation on buses illegal
- sprouted from Montgomery bus boycott by NAACP
39
KKK revival
revived during the 1950s because of civil rights movement
not on the same scale as 1920s, where there were roughly 4mil members
40
Cold War
capitalism (USA) vs Communism (Soviet Union) ideological battle, ending in 1991
41
HUAC
The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was an investigating committee which investigated what it considered un-American propaganda
42
how did HUAC contribute to the red scare
public hearings
communists framed as traitors
increased anti-communist hysteria
43
Rosenbergs Trial
Started March 1951, Rosenberg accused of passing info to the Soviets about the atomic bomb. Executed 19 June 1953
44
McCarran Act
passed in August 1950, requiring all communist organisations to register with the government
45
Hiss Case
Alger Hiss was accused of passing info onto the Soviets. started in 1949 and sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1950
46
how did McCarran Act contribute to the red scare
Communists were being denied rights
communists were being discriminated
47
how did McCarthy contribute to the Red Scare
main public figure accusing and investigating suspected communists between 1950-54
48
Methods of McCarthy
partisan in accusation to benefit republicans
accusations & hearings (both public)
aggressive questioning
targeted public figures
called these who disagreed with him a communist
Fabricating evidence
claims to have evidence of communists in the State Department
49
Reasons to McCarthy's downfall
the army found and sent evidence of Mccarthys corruption to news reporters
televised army-Mccarthy hearings, saw McCarthy's bullying tactics and they were unconstitutional
nobody was ever convicted of spying based off his work
Cold War tensions had eased slightly after Korean War ended in July 1953
media had increasing number of anti-McCarthy articles and programmes
McCarthy's accusations became more extreme
50
McCarthy’s impact
lots of people had their jobs and careers ruined because of him, even simply by naming them
many people started having more fear of communism, and there were more reports. When someone did not agree, they were often considered communist
51
"Have you no sense of decency, sir?"
Joseph Welch, bringing the downfall of McCarthy in a trial after JmC brought up a communist who was meant to stay unsaid
52
impacts of the Red scare
intolerance
oppression
exaggerated / hysteria
damaged US international reputation
53
Hollywood Ten
Ten producers and writers were accused of having ties to communism and using Hollywood to spread their ideology
1.
- H10 cited their 1st amendment right and refused to answer any Qs.
- H10 found guilty of contempt of Congress
- They were fined + sent to prison for 1 yr.
2.
- More people continued to get investigated by the administration
- all those 'blacklisted' had their careers ruined as many institutions cut ties
54
Richard nixon background
first elected to Congress in 1947
heavily involved in the Red Scare
Vice President under Eisenhower
Defeated by JFK in 1960, ran in 1968 (knew he could not win 1964) and won
very intelligent and hardworking
very paranoid and sensitive to defeat and criticism
those loyal to him were rewarded
55
why was Nixon elected in 1968
MAINLY VIETNAM WAR
Nixon promised to get out of the Vietnam war
56
CRP/CREEP
Committee to Re-Elect the President
helped re-elect Nixon in 1972
57
what did CREEP do
Surface level - helped raise funds for Nixon campaign
Secretly - spy on Nixon potential opponents, and use information to discredit them
58
White House Plumbers
group formed to do the dirty work of CREEP, e.g breaking into offices. Public did not know of their existence
59
Watergate break-in
17th June 1972, when five burglars arrested at Watergate Office Building for trying to repair bugging devices - they were setting up recording devices for conversation espionage
60
Reaction to break-in at the time
No initial reaction, just seen as a burglary
Some found suspicious as there was nothing valuable in Democratic National Committee HQ
61
How did break-in turn into a scandal
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (journalists) investigated and found links between burglars n CREEP, then White House, publishing articles.
FBI investigated separately, finding more links
Nixon asked the White House lawyer who claimed to find no links
Letter of McCord (one of the burglars) admitting that the White House tried to cover up
62
How did Nixon administration react to start of the scandal
Nixon denied any involvement of the white house
Set up investigation in April/May 1973
Sacked Chief of Staff and White House lawyer, Head of White House Plumbers resigned
63
Congress investigations
Democrats pushed Senate to start a public investigation
John Dean (ex-lawyer) testified for 5 days and said that Nixon was directly involved
Nixon refused to testify
Senate asked for recordings of the calls of the White House
64
How did Nixon administration react to Congress investigations
initially refused to hand over tapes
then gave some heavily edited ones October 1973, and gradually less edited April 1974
Supreme Court then forced Nixon to send all the tapes July 1974
65
what role did the tapes play
showed that:
Nixon blocked investigation initially of the break-in
Tried to block FBI from investigating
had authorised bribing the burglars to stay silent
66
when did Nixon resign
August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford becomes president
67
impact on US Government
people started to lose trust, Government seemed corrupt
Fewer people voting
68
impact on 1976 election
Ford lost election due to his pardon to Nixon
Jimmy Carter was elected for his honesty rather than skill
Fewer people voted
69
impact on Nixon
ended Nixon's career
become more respected as an author and for giving speeches, but still widely regarded as one of the worst presidents
70
Impact on government officials
many were tried and over 30 got prison sentences, so big change in government staff
Republicans lost seats in House of Representatives and Senate
71
impact on New Laws
1973 committee meetings open to public
stopped President going to War without Congress approval (War powers Act)
1974 set limits on election campaigns spending and contributions (Election campaign amendment act)
people had right to access any document of the Government in which they featured
set rules on how government gets info of people (Privacy act)
set rules on how president can use government money (Congressional budget control act)
