Fighting for civil rights: from legal challenge to direct action, 1917-55

Question 1

What did the NAACP focus on?

Answer 1

Litigation

Question 2

NAACP membership in 1917, 1919 and 1946

Answer 2

1917 - 9,000
1919 - 90,000
1946 - 600,000

Question 3

Separatism:

Answer 3

The idea of stopping fighting for civil rights and accepting inferiority to ensure kids aren’t brought up to feel inferior all the time. Marcus Garvey suggested the answer was to go back to Africa for the whites

Question 3

NAACP on lynching:

Answer 3

Published pamphlets, held marches and petitioned to Congress but was blocked by Southern politicians

Question 4

When was the Sweet trial?

Answer 4

1926

Question 5

1926 Sweet trial (3)

Answer 5

• Sweet and his family move to a predominately white area in Detroit in 1925
• Surrounded by an angry mob two nights on running
• Fearing an attack, Sweet’s friend shot a young man and all men were put on trial for murder

Question 6

Outcome of Sweet trial:

Answer 6

NAACP won setting up a legal defence fund to fight segregation

Question 7

When was the Murray vs Maryland?

Answer 7

1936

Question 8

1936 Murray v Maryland

Answer 8

University of Maryland’s law school is desegregated

Question 9

When was Gaines v Canada?

Answer 9

1938

Question 10

1938 Gaines v Canada

Answer 10

Supreme Court orders the University of Missouri to take black students

Question 11

When was Morgan v Virginia?

Answer 11

1946

Question 12

1946 Morgan v Virginia

Answer 12

Overturns a Virginia state law segregating buses and trains that moved from one state to another

Question 13

When was Brown v Board of Education?

Answer 13

1954

Question 14

What did the Brown v Board of Education achieve?

Answer 14

• Overruled the Plessy v Fergusson doctrine of ‘separate but equal’
• Schools and colleges were to be desegregated

Question 15

Limitations of Brown v Board of Education:

Answer 15

• No timescale was given
• Used vague wording such as ‘with all deliberate speed’

Question 16

Ten years after Brown v Board, how many black children were in an integrated school in the South?

Answer 16

One black child in every 100 in the south was in an integrated school

Question 17

What group was formed after Brown v Board?

Answer 17

White Citizens Council - to fight desegregation and civil rights for black Americans

Question 18

How many members did the White Citizens Council have in 1956?

Answer 18

250,000

Question 19

What did the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) do?

Answer 19

• Held sit-ins to desegregate public facilities
• Freedom rides

Question 20

Fellowship for Reconciliation:

Answer 20

Rode interstate-buses to desegregate them and encourage the enforcement of Morgan v Virginia

Question 21

Rules of non-violent protests: (4)

Answer 21

• Demonstrators dressed well
• Not loud or abusive
• Didn’t fight back
• Showed support for government