Obsticles to the achievement of Civil RIghts Flashcards
By 1925 how many members did the KKK have?
By 1925 membership peaked to 3 million.
What violent methods did the KKK use?
They lit crosses in areas they were active, they are reported to have lynched 505 people during the interwar period, they flew the confederate flag and took part in marches etc.
Those responsible were rarely brought to justice by the authorities.
Why was the KKK an obstacle for blacks in achieving civil rights?
They could rely on the silent support of millions of non members who supported their actions and turned a blind eye to their actions.
Their violence injected fear and intimidation in both blacks and whites who dared not speak out against their treatment.
Why was the KKK a limited obstacle?
From 1929 membership declined, it is argued this is due to immigration restrictions and as a result of corruption and sexual scandals within the Klan.
What were legal impediments?
Jim Crow Laws affected education and meant that black children were segregated and had access to outdated textbooks, little resources, large class sizes and poorly qualified teachers. Miscegenation laws banned the marriage of blacks and whites - those who ignored the law could be arrested for up to 10 years.
Why were legal impediments significant?
Education was the key to economic success and preventing blacks from having an adequate education left millions of children at a great disadvantage which led to long term economic and social poverty.
Jim Crow Laws reinforced the idea that whites were not able to accept blacks as their equals.
Why were legal impediments a limited obstacle?
Jim Crow laws did not exist in most Northern states therefore blacks were able to receive an education and some of their civil rights.
Blacks in the North could marry whites meaning it was not illegal.
What was the grandfather clause? And any other voting restrictions…
People were only allowed to vote if their grandfathers had been able to vote in 1865 - excluding most blacks due to slavery.
Some states introduced a poll tax in order to vote.
Literacy tests were also required to vote in some states.
Why was a lack of political influence important?
Many blacks were denied the ability to vote, they could not serve on juries or in the local office. Therefore they could not influence any decision making and were not advocated for in both local and federal governments.
Why was a lack of political influence an obstacle?
Voting restrictions only existed in the Southern States. In the North blacks were able to exercise their 15th Amendment right to vote, this means some blacks were able to influence decision making regarding their civil rights.
What were the divisions within the black community?
The NAACP’s primary goal was de-segrigation and eliminating racial hatred. However, they were unable to gain support for an anit-lynching bill or tackle Jim Crow Laws and could not agree the best method to acheive civil rights.
Why were divisions within the black community important?
The movement lacked unity and could not gain grassroots support to generate political influence, this made them appear toothless. Their lack of ability to overturn the anti-lynching bill etc. caused them to never be seen as a voice for blacks.
Why were divisions within the black community limited?
Pressure from the NAACP prevented Birth of a Nation from being shown in some cities, their work helped to reduce the number of lynchings. The NAACP did have some successes and the weakness of their early work should not detract from their latter successes in the development of civil rights.
Explain popular prejudice.
By 1930 1 million blacks had fled the South to live in cities such as Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Detriot, Boston and Washington DC.
They also faced discrimination in the North from whites who resented them for job and housing competition.
Blacks were only able to find low paying, unskilled jobs even if they were a better worker than their white counterparts.
Why was popular prejudice important?
Although Jim Crow’s did not exist in the North blacks still faced social and economic exclusion and had less access to opportunities due to discrimination. Many prioritized working to maintain a healthy life rather than fighting for equality.
