Civil Rights in the USA: 1945-68 Flashcards
Outline the key features of the Reconstruction Era (1865-77)
This period promised much but delivered little for black people
Sharecropping emerged as a form of economic entrapment in the South; by 1899 approximately half of all Southern blacks lived in a state of virtual servitude
The prison system also served as a means of free labour, as convicts were rented out to private enterprises in agriculture or industry
C Bowers Quote on the Reconstruction Era
“Never have American public men in responsible positions, directing the destiny of the nation, been so brutal, hypocritical, and corrupt. The constitution was treated as a doormat.”
Outline ‘Plessy v Ferguson’ and its consequences for black people
The 1896 Supreme Court decision in Plessy vs Ferguson ruled that the 14th Amendment to the constitution guaranteed legal but not social equality
This established the ‘separate but equal’ principle that allowed Southern states to establish a system of virtual apartheid - Jim Crow Laws
All areas of public life were segregated, and black people were disenfranchised through poll taxes and literacy tests
Edward Ball Quote on Plessy v Ferguson
“The encirclement is complete. Race quarantine becomes the custom in all the land. White supremacy is acclaimed in habit, in thought and in law.”
What is lynching and how was it used to intimidate black people?
Lynching - an extrajudicial killing undertaken by a mob, intended to punish an alleged offender and intimidate a group of people
Between 1888-1923, more than 2,500 southern blacks were lynched
What was the ‘Great Migration’ and why did it occur?
Although still enshrined with racism, the industrialised North offered more employment and access to legal & political systems
Between 1900-50, black people living outside the South went from 9% to 45% in ‘The Great Migration’
What was the impact of WW2 on the civil rights movement?
Despite the army being segregated, black soldiers made up 10% of recruits and some 1.2 million served
WW2 coincided with anti-colonial sentiment across the world, and many black people asked, as in the 1942 letter, ‘should I sacrifice my life to live half-American?’
The ‘Double V’ movement was launched, fighting for victory against the fascists overseas and victory against racism in America
NAACP Crisis Paper Quote, 1940
“The hysterical cries of the preachers for democracy in Europe leave us cold. We want democracy in Alabama, Arkansas, in Mississippi and Michigan, in the District of Columbia, in the Senate of the United States”
What advances in Civil Rights took place in the Truman era?
1946 saw the first civil rights commission and outlawing of interstate bus segregation
In 1948, the armed forces were desegregated
However, most of these federal laws were rejected by Southern states
Who were the NAACP and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
One of the earliest civil rights groups, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People was founded in 1909 with the aim to “secure for all the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments”
They ran a campaign against lynching that lasted the entire century
Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP Legal Defence & Education Fund argued the landmark case of Brown v Board of Education (1954) before the Supreme Court, which resulted in the principle of separate but equal being struck down
The primary organisers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Cornell William Brooks Quote on NAACP Impact
“The NAACP played a critical role in making America what it is today”
Who were CORE and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
An interracial group established in Chicago in 1942, the Congress of Racial Equality’s approach was non-violent direct action inspired by Mahatma Ghandi
Designed a series of successful Chicago sit-ins to protest university segregation, which would go on to inspire Southern efforts
Their volunteers were a vital to the Mississippi Freedom Summer and it was three CORE workers (Schwerer, Goodman & Chaney) who were murdered for their activity
James Farmer Jr Quote on the intentions of CORE
“Like a seed, a real core, it would germinate and radiate its equality in wider and wider circles until it encompassed the whole nation.”
Who were the SCLC and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
Formed in 1957 in response to the Montgomery bus boycott and deeply tied to religious duty & non-violence, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference served as a coordinating organisation
It trained thousands of activists in the philosophy of non-violence
Played important roles in March on Washington & Selma-Montgomery March
One of the mottos of the SCLC
“Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed”
Who were the SNCC and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was a grassroots organisation established in 1960, in the midst of student lunch counter sit-ins and dedicated to nonviolent direct action
Under the leadership of John Lewis, it became the leading force for voter registration in the rural South, targeting the oft-neglected ‘Black Belt’
Working with CORE, it organised the Freedom Rides & Mississippi Freedom Summer
SNCC Press Release on Non-Violent Activity
“Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate.”
Who were the Nation of Islam and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
Founded in Detroit, Michigan, 1930, the NOI was a religious organisation that combined black nationalism with an unorthodox interpretation of Islam
Its messages of Africanism, economic reliance and forceful self-defence differed from every other major civil rights organisation at the time
Under the influence of Malcolm X, the NOI had gained 300,000 members by 1964
It would have a major influence on future Black Power movements and the BPP
Elijah Muhamad Quote on the Philosophy of the NOI
“We must get away from the idea of depending on others to do for us what we can do for self. Fear, cowardice, and laziness are our greatest enemies”
What were the Black Panther Party and what role did they play in the Civil Rights Movement?
Founded in 1966 in Oakland, the BPP advocated black power and class struggle
It instituted Free Breakfast For Children Programs and operated community health clinics for education and the treatment of diseases
Its anti-police attitude led Hoover to call it “the greatest internal threat” to America
Fred Hampton Quote on the BPP mission
“I am the people, I’m not the pig. You got to make a distinction. And the people are going to have to stand up against the pigs”
How were legal challenges used to promote the civil rights movement?
The NAACP Legal and Defence Fund took on cases that challenged racist laws all across the country - 20 went before the Supreme Court between 1940-68
These cases challenged discriminatory laws in the public eye and often led to law reform (but sometimes opponents found ways to delay/avoid court orders)
Examples include Brown v Board of Education (1954) & Browder v Gayle (1955)
NAACP Press Release After Brown v Board Of Education
“All Americans are now relieved to have the law of the land declare in the clearest language ‘in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place”
How were boycotts used to promote the civil rights movement?
These were usually targeted at segregated institutions and could last last for long periods - the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days
Their effectiveness came from their economic impact and the solidarity of the black community even in face of targeting by police and the Klan
The most famous example is the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955
Al Sharpton Quote on the Effectiveness of Boycotts
“With boycotts, they didn’t need everyone. Just enough to be effective”
How were sit-ins used to promote the civil rights movement?
These protests, where demonstrators occupied a location and refused to leave until their demands were met, were often utilised by students and could last for weeks
They were effective because they cost businesses customers and the peaceful nature of the protest made violent attempts to remove protestors stand out
One of the first occurred at Read’s Drug Store Maryland (1955) and famous ones took place in Greensboro (1960) - it lasted for six months!
Martin Luther King Quote on Sit-Ins
“electrifying movement of Negro students [that] shattered the placid surface of campuses and communities across the South”
How were marches used to promote the civil rights movement?
Occurred in a range of mediums across the country, from protests on foot or in cars and buses
They often drew massive media attention, drew together groups from across the civil rights movement and piled pressure on legislators to establish change
The March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, where 250,000 attended (1963) & Selma/Montgomery March (1965) became famous worldwide
Fairclough Quote on the aims of the SCLC with marches
“The power of nonviolence lay in its ability to symbolise the violence of segregation. The SCLC sought vivid images that would attract the news media and evoke sympathy for the protestors”
Martin Luther King - Key Beliefs + Quote
Peaceful protest is the best means of achieving change; there is a difference between non-resistance and non-violent resistance
All men and women have been created equal under God, and deserve equal rights and respect under the law
Love can serve as a powerful emotional force
““Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding. It is a sword that heals.”
Martin Luther King - Aims + Quote
Raise the public consciousness of racism in society
Achieve equal rights and opportunities for black people
Harness the moral authority and organising power of black churches to conduct non-violent protest
Organise a coordinated approach to civil rights, uniting multiple factions
“Equality with whites will not solve the problems of either whites or negroes if it means equality in a world society stricken by poverty and in a universe doomed to extinction by war”
