Issue 2 Essay Flashcards
List of factors
- Activities of the KKK
- Divisions in the Black Community
- Popular Prejudice
- Political Influence
Activities of the KKK
K - Terrorist group created in the 1860s, originally targeted ex-slaves. Saw a rise in popularity in the 1920s. 3 million members.
A - Large, powerful membership meant it was hard to hold them accountable for their atrocities.
K - Would often brutally attack and even murder black people, lynchings sometimes involved burning people alive.
A - Most people in the black community were afraid to stand up for themselves.
A+ - Figure of 3 million came from the Klan so could be made up - membership is known to have drastically declined in the 1930s.
E - “The Klan relied on local anarchic autonomy.” - David M. Chalmers.
Divisions in the black community
K - Early civil rights campaigners: W.E.B du Bois, Marcus Garvey & Booker T. Washington. However, many were afraid to stand up against the hate.
A - Although there were people standing up for their rights, they gained little support as people were too afraid to get involved.
K - Campaigners had different solutions for achieving civil rights - du Bois calls for true absolute equality, Booker T. Washington believes equality through education and Marcus Garvey believes in black nationalism, that black people should return to Africa.
A - There was no cohesion behind the moment, with different campaigners all working separately for separate ends.
A+ - However, these campaigners raised the profile for civil rights and got people talking about the issue.
E - “It may appear that very little had been gained, in real terms, to advance the cause of civil rights… There was, however, an increased awareness of cultural identity.” Susan Willoughby.
Popular Prejudice
K - Many black people from southern states moved north for the American Dream. But when they arrived they were met with marginalisation, poor housing conditions and high rents. White people despised the new competition for employment.
A - This saw the racial hate of the south bleeding into the northern states.
K - In 1919, an African-American teenager is stoned to death by white youths in Lake Michigan, triggering the “Red Summer” of 1919.
A - Caused the death and injury of many, and was the reason for the KKK reviving activity in the south, which lead to many lynchings of black people.
A+ - Riots got people talking - Woodrow Wilson sided with the black community placing the blame on white people.
E - “Racial tensions and segregation spread to northern cities for the first time.” Kevern Verney
Political Influence
K - Black people not given equal access to democracy, as qualification barriers like literary tests and impossible questions prevented them from being able to vote.
A - Most black people couldn’t vote, so they did not have a voice when it came to political advancement.
K - The Grandfather Clause, Louisiana 1898 - clause allowed illiterate black people to vote if their grandfather had been eligible to vote on January 1st 1867.
A - Dramatically decreased the number of people able to vote.
A+ - The Grandfather Clause lead to the formation of the NAACP, which went on to gain political success in passing an anti-lynching bill.
