Opposition to the Civil Rights Movement Flashcards
What was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)?
White Anglo-Saxon protestants who saw themselves as superior to other races, especially African Americans. They were also anti-communist, anti-Jew, anti-Catholic, & against all foreigners.
How did the KKK dress?
In white sheets with white painted hoods which symbolised white supremacy.
What did the KKK do?
- They often attacked & had meetings at night.
- Carried out lynchings of black people
- Beat up / mutilated enemies
- Stripped some victims & put tar and feathers on bodies
What were some of the members known as.
- Leader: Imperial Wizard
- Officers: Klaliffs, Kluds or Klabees
Why didn’t politicians speak out about the Klan?
They would lose votes.
How many people were lynched from 1865-1965
2000.
When did the murder of Emmett Till occur?
August 1955.
What happened to Emmett Till that day?
He was a 14 yr old boy who visited relatives in Mississippi (south) & was accused of harrassing a white woman in the shop.
Later, the husband & brother-in-law of woman abducted Till from relatives house, beat & killed him, then threw his body in the river.
How was Till identified?
Only by the initials of a ring.
What happened to the 2 men that killed him?
They were arrested but the jury’s decision during the trial in September only lasted 1 hour. The all white jury found them not guilty.
What did the mother of Till do?
She made sure that the coffin was open, when it was send back to Chicago, so that people could see the extent of the beating, this gained them publicity.
How did people react to the body of Till?
Many African Americans & even some white Americans were appalled & became involved in civil rights movements.
Why was the White Citizens’ Council set up?
To fight Brown vs Topeka case & to campaign against NAACP.
When was the White Citizens’ Council set up?
1954.
What did the White Citizens’ Council do?
- Tried to prevent African Americans from registering to vote
- Tried to stop bus boycott by pressuring insurance agencies to cancel policies for church-owned vehicles
