issue 2: Obstacle in civil rights Flashcards
Introduction
Slavery had existed in America for hundreds of years before ending after the civil war in 1865- The North’s victory over the south led to many black Americans becoming ‘free’ for the first time. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the American constitution effectively outlawed slavery forever and granted newly freed black slaves full civil rights. However, life was not a significant obstacle in denying black people civil rights. The klan was a secret terrorist organisation whose sole purpose was to dent black people from enjoying their new freedoms and equality. However, legal impediments are the most significant obstacle in denying Black Americans civil rights. Other important arguments include lack of political influence, different divisions, and popular prejudice in the north.
Legal Impediments
K-Southern state legislatures sought to deny black Americans their civil rights by introducing segregation laws known as the Jim Crow Laws.
A-This legislation meant legally they could only be challenged through court.
K-Jim crow laws strengthened in 1896 , and the ruling of the ‘separate but equal’ decision meant that both races were segregated but facilities were equal.
A- This led to more Jim crow laws in the south, strengthen the system of racial division and harder to beat the barrier to civil rights.
A+-Woodrow Wilson president at the time was racist as he was for segregation, which was the biggest barrier in the civil rights making it clear that there was o way black Americans would achieve civil rights with Wilson as president.
Popular Prejudice
K-‘The great migration’ culminated in race riots in northern cities, such as Chicago, where white residents were non too happy at the arrival of blacks seeking a better life.
A-popular prejudice was deep-rooted and hard to shift, and the levels of violence that resulted amply demonstrate that popular prejudice was a major obstacle to black civil rights.
K-competition for jobs and housing resulted in tension as more and more black people continued to migrate north.
A- people were shocked by the treatment up north, improving their living conditions it would be difficult because of racism.
A+- legal impediments such as Jim crow laws in the south were directly responsible for the great migration and therefore the stronger argument.
Divisions in the Black community
K-Booker T Washington believed in racial equality, he believed that black people should prove themselves through hard work, education and self-improvement before being awarded any rights.
A- This angered many black Americans, as they believed they should be equal to white people regardless of whether they could prove themselves.
K-In 1919, W.E D Du Bois, founder of the NAACP launched an anti-lynching campaign, which later became a bill for making lynching a federal offence.
A-this was important as the bill was defeated, showing civil rights were not important to the government.
A+-the NAACP had 91,000 members by 1919- this suggests the start of an effective group was developing,albeit slow and steady in pace.
the KKK
K-In 1915, William K Simmons re- founded the KKK, the white supremacist organisation that used fear,terror and intimidation to prevent black people from claiming their civil rights.
A-This was an important obstacle to black Americans because anyone who attempted to improve their status was likely to be targeted by this increasingly powerful organisation.
K- By 1925 the klan had 3 million members that included policemen, politicians & judges.
A-This is important because it meant that there was almost no chance of black Americans receiving justice for the crimes committed.
A+-however the KKK numbers declined dramatically in the 30s and began to be less effective at preventing Blacks from obtaining rights.
Lack of political influence
K-President Woodrow Wilson himself was deeply racist, segregated the federal civil service and stated “segregation is not humiliating and is a benefit to you black gentlemen’’.
A-The fact that the President was deeply racist indicated the significance to challenge Jim Crow laws.
K-Literacy tests were another measure used to get around the 15th amendment; one state asked “how many bubbles are in a bar of soap?”.
A-The impact of these laws were dramatic in reducing the number of black Americans voting, thus, they were unable to elect politicians who would fight for civil rights.
A+-However, there was some influential black politician within government such as Hiram Rhodes Revels = first African American who served in congress from 1870
Conclusion
In conclusion, the KKK were a significant obstacle to Black Americans enjoying civil rights. Their intimidation techniques instilled fear into many Black Americans, which kept them from speaking out against the organisation. However, it is not the most significant factor, as legal impediments ultimately failed to bring the KKK to justice and offered a degree of protectionism for the Klan members.
In addition, lack of political influence meant that black Americans were unable to vote in larger numbers, which could have enabled a stronger political voice and representation to fight for civil rights. However, this is directly linked to legal impediments because jim crow laws allowed impossible literacy tests and poll taxes to stand in the way of Black Americans who tried to vote.
Furthermore, different divisions created a lack of unity due to contrasting ideologies that slowed the movement further. However, Jim Crow laws were simply too powerful to attack at this time and protected from the supreme court decision of 1896. This proves that legal impediments were the biggest obstacle to reaching civil rights until 1941
