Issue 2 (Obstacles for Civil Rights) Flashcards
Legal Impediment
Knowledge
After slavery WASP were scared blacks could gain the right to vote. Jim Crow laws were introduced in some states. The Jim Crow laws made sure black and white remained separate (segregation).
In 1892 Homer Plessy who was 1/8 black, was asked to leave a white only part of a train to which he refused. In the case ‘Plessy vs Ferguson’ Plessy argued that the Jim Crow laws were a violation agents the 14th amendment. The Supreme Court sided with the state. This was called the separate but equal decision.
Legal impediment
Analysis
Separate but Equal decision of the Supreme Court made jim crow laws legal. This made segregation legal in most southern states. John A Kerr stated “black people said that the decision of the Supreme Court made it legal in the USA to discriminate against them and they were right”. This made the black want to strike back.
Legal impediment
Analysis +
Woodrow Wilson “segregation is not humiliating and is a benefit to you as black gentlemen”.
As many sided with the president the whites thought of blacks as lesser. This encouraged many African Americans to try to overcome segregation. There was groups like NAAPC where blacks met to discuss how to respond to discrimination against the black community.
Popular prejudice
Knowledge
During WW1 most men were at war so worker were in demand. Many of the jobs were filled by the black community. When the men returned from war they were furious that there jobs were taken by black. Black were seen as a threat to job security.
Between 1910 and 1970 over 6 million black migrated to escape the harsh treatment in the south. In 1910 89% of black lived in the South and by 1970 it was 53%. This created racial tension with led to race riots.
Popular prejudice
Analysis
1920 Chicago’s race riots due to a man being drowned fro swimming to close to a white only beach. I here riots spread to 20 different US cities. This riot lasted 13 days were over 500 were injured 23 black being killed and many more black were left homeless. 70 black people were also lynched which was ignored by the federal government and they refused to make lynching against the law.
Popular prejudice
Analysis +
Vivian Saunders “the constitution… set out the protect rights, liberties and freedom - but only for the white men. The black community were never seen as important not as the white men and the black were never cared about by their president, politicians or their country.
KKK
Knowledge
The KKK was disbanded in 1871, however due to the increase number of immigrants a new one emerged in 1915. By 1924/5 the number of KKK members was at its higher with over 3 million people. The KKK promoted the white supremacy through fear and intimidation.
There amis was to stop formal slaves and new immigrants getting educated, having voting rights and economical advances. Many thought KKK were crazy and never seen them as a threat. In 1925 40,000 Klansmen protests through Washington.
KKK
Analysis
They used terror and brutality. They would threaten immigrants if they didn’t abide by their threats and they would be kidnapped, whipped or even murdered. 416 black Americans were killed between the years of 1918-27 mostly due to lynching, that included 78 black veterinarians in 1919. The black were also scared to vote. This stops black from gaining civil right.
KKK
Analysis +
The KKK started to die down by late 1920s. This was due to scandals by members who were high up in the KKK. By 1930 there was less than 6,000 Klansmen in Alabama. This means there must of been other factors contributing to no civil rights.
Lack of political influence
Knowledge
Politicians didn’t support civil rights as there is little advantages due to small numbers of black who could vote. The Supreme Court did nothing to encore the 14th (black have the right to freedom and should be treated the same) and 15 (back have the right to vote) the amendment. The US Sente and southern senators worked to block the Dyer Anti-Lynching bill.
The presidents of the 1920 and 30s didn’t help the blacks gain civil rights or were unable or unwilling to put an end to the social, political and economic discrimination that black faced. President were more likely to extend Jim crow laws than help black to fight for civil rights.
Lack of political influence
Analysis
There was loopholes in the 15th amendment which was exploited so that states could impose voting qualifications which meant blacks couldn’t vote. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Mississippi vs. Williams (1898) that the voting qualifications were not discrimination as it applied to all voters not just blacks.
Lack of Political Influence
Analysis +
More qualifications were put in place to stop blacks voting. The poll tax was put in place as many blacks were poor. The tax was high so the blacks couldn’t afford it however this also effected poor whites. This is why the grandfather clause was introduced in 1898. This meant that if some had a father or grandfather who could vote in Jan 1, 1857 then didn’t need to pay tax. Only white could vote at this time.
Division in the Black Community
Knowledge
Booker T Washington was the son of a slave in 1881 he established Tuskegee which gave black children education a chance to learn particle skills such as brick making and farming. He argued that that blacks should earn equality through hard work and determination. This made him gain respect by presidents.
W.E.B Dubious disagreed with Washington as he thought that this encouraged whites to still treat blacks awful. Dubious used legal action to improve employment, housing, voting and education. In 1901 he started the first civil rights movement the NAACP which campaign against lynching. 1915 Supreme Court declared the grandfather clause unconstitutional due to the acts of NAACP
Division in the Black Community
Analysis
None of the 2 men helped to gain civil rights. These men only parted the black community into thinking what was the right way to move forward and to achieve rights. Due to lack of unity between leaders there was a lack of focus on each group which meant there was little achievement in the civil rights movement.
Division in the Black Community
Analysis +
The blacks came from 2 different backgrounds.
Vivienne Sanders - the black community was divided: ex slaves resent free-born blacks who saw themselves as superior
Ex slaves seen themselves as free and wanted a better life, whereas the born blacks wanted to be equal to whites.
