History S2 Flashcards
What is the American dream?
The belief that no matter your background that if you work hard you can achieve your dreams
Why was America referred to as a melting pot before the 1920s?
Before the 1920s the US had an ‘open door policy’ this term refers to the loose restrictions they had on immigration. It was called a melting pot because it was like a melting pot of different cultures and races
Why did they change attitudes towards immigration towards immigrants in the 1920s?
In 1920 the WASPs movement / white Anglo Saxon Protestants began getting more popular and this movement involved the belief that the “older” immigrants where superior and that the newer “poorer” immigrants where inferior and started implementing their racist views into the policy leading to stricter and harder access to America via immigration.
What did the klu klux klan do?
The ku klux klan was a racist organization that took part in activities of fearing and intimidating people of colour (specifically African American people). They often burned large crosses on hillsides to frighten the people near, victims might have been kidnapped, whipped, multilateral or murdered.
Masked klansmen marched through the streets of towns and cities carrying posters threatening victims with punishment and warning others to leave town.
The klan also commonly took part in lynchings
What are the Jim Crow laws?
The south of America was determined to keep control over the black population, they made new laws in their own states called Jim Crow laws. These laws basically made racism in the south legal and made it harder for black Americans to improve their situations. These laws where put in place in order to create a segregated society and the idea that Americans can live better in a “separate but ‘equal” society with the idea that they could live in harmony but use separate facilities.
Why was the double V campaign created?
During WW2 black soldiers began to question why they were fighting for freedom abroad whilst they still had to suffer discrimination at home and the prejudice of their own country. They wanted change, civil rights. They advocated against Jim Crow laws and other discriminatory laws or regulations. The campaign stood for victory in war and victory at home
What were peaceful protests?
Peaceful protests were a way to protest without harming others and came about mainly due to Martin Luther king as he was a large advocate for peaceful protests in the 1950s with his first being the Montgomery bus boycott.
What was the Montgomery bus boycott?
+And when was it?
The Montgomery bus boycott was started by a woman called Rosa parks in December of 1955. She was returning home after work on a bus and was asked to stand up for a white passenger but she refused to get up. In this time black people where expected to give up their seats for a white person to sit and she refused leading to her getting arrested and after these events MLK and other civil rights activists decided to plan a boycott on the bus system in order to stop segregation on busses. The busses lots of revenue and the government gave in and desegregated the busses.
What happened at Little Rock Arkansas in the 1950s?
Since schools where segregated in the 1950s many black people had worse school facilities and they weren’t allowed to go to the “white” schools. Due to this a famous situation of a girl (Elizabeth eckford) challenging these laws. Since she could only go to black schools she was forced to make a dangerous commute across the train tracks every morning so her parents argued against the segregation due to its negative consequences on their child. This lead to the president desegregating the schools and letting Elizabeth and other people of colour go to “white” schools.
What happened with the sit ins of the 1960s?
On the 1st of February 4 black students took part in the first sit in and sat in white only restaurants peacefully waiting to be served. They also started doing it in churches and food courts to protest. It spread to 100 cities across the south. It helped people see the power of peaceful protest and the white people were forced to change segregation laws due to public outcry. Though the protest only had a limited range and only effected in certain businesses and places.
Why happened in the freedom rides of 1961?
In 1961 a group of 13 black students planned these freedom rides to protest and many black and white students joined in on this protest along the way.
These students rode public transport and tried to go from dc to New Orleans but didn’t make it all the way due to violent white mobs and kkk attacks. Thanks to these rides the US government ordered the stopping of segregation on public transportation.
What happened during the Birmingham march of 1963
In may of 1963 MLK planned a march in Birmingham but was arrested before he got to do the march. So instead of him doing the march he planned for the schoolchildren of Birmingham from the 6-18 years old. MLK planned out a march with children due to the publicity and Sympathy it would bring their cause due to the police’s outrageous brutality towards a peaceful protest and children. During the protest police beat people, attacked them with hoses and used dogs to attack them.
When was the civil rights act?
1964
What happened in the Washington march and civil rights act?
In 1963 black leaders organised a March in Washington to gain publicity for the new civil rights bill and 4 national channels broadcasted this live to bring attention as well as MLKs I have a dream speech.
The bill was put in place by 1964.
What happened in the voting rights act of 1966?
In America some states made it hard for black Americans to qualify for a vote having long registration forms with disqualification for spelling mistakes or grammar. Therefore MLK did a protest in the most strict states on these racist laws in Alabama.
The voting rights act law was passed in 1965
