Post war and the 50s (1945-1960) Flashcards
1
Q
How did the membership of the NAACP during the war
A
- Increased during the war
from 50,000 to 200,000 - It now had over 150
branches and was
represented in nearly every
state union
2
Q
How did the attitudes of whites begin to change in the post war period
A
- White Americans were now becoming more aware of just how
black people were being treated in the South, where violence
against them was greater and where discrimination was more
systematic - Secretary of State, Dean Acheson stated it in 1946
‘The existence of discrimination against minority groups in this
country had an adverse effect on our relationship with other
countries’
3
Q
How were new technological developments important
A
- Campaigners exploited the spread of the motor car to move with
ease around the whole of the USA to organise their various
campaigns - Civil rights groups came to rely on the publicity of the television
screen, as horrified northern white liberals saw racist southern
police at work - between 1949-1960: 45 million Americans gained a
television
set
4
Q
What was the importance of Thurgood Marshall
A
- One of the most skilful civil rights lawyers, Thurgood Marshall,
put forward a series of powerful reasons why the legal system
should acknowledge and tackle the lack of equality in the
education system - He argued powerfully against the constitution legality of
segregated education – he produced educationalists,
psychologists and other professionals to argue that segregation
itself created low self-esteem for black people etc - Was pinnacle in the Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka case
of (1954)
5
Q
In what ways were African Americans disadvantaged in terms of education
A
- Research showed that in 1949 in Clarendon County, South
Carolina, an average of $179 was spent on each white child in
their schools, but only $43 on each black one - The pupil-teacher ratio was 20 percent better in white schools
than black - Black teachers generally received about half the salary of white
ones
6
Q
What were the philosophies and beliefs of Martin Luther King
A
It was the philosophies king brought from his strong-minded religious beliefs combined with his experience being brought up as an orthodox Baptist that created such a strong movement
- King and his followers believed that justice could be achieved
within the American system. - The American tradition of freedom was associated with important
measures such as the Bill of Rights that outlined many different
liberties - King believed that with federal help – the promise of
freedom could be extended to black people
-King also strongly believed that non-violence must be strictly maintained – in common aims with other movements- no retaliation must be made – even in the face of the worst possible provocation.
7
Q
What were the three central attributes of Martin Luther King
A
- Speaking Abilities: could accurately articulate the feelings of an
audience - Organising Role: By travelling around different states appealing for
funds, King managed to get the financial help from a variety of
different sources – this was particularly useful in funding the taxi
services during the Montgomery bus boycott - Inspirational Courage: The lack of hatred in his genuinely non-
violent policy was there for all to see – during the boycott he
received 30-40 threatening letters during the day
8
Q
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A
- In Montgomery, Alabama regulations were especially strict: e.g.
No black passenger was allowed to sit parallel to a white
passenger - The boycott commenced in Montgomery, Alabama, in the first
month of 1955 after a former NAACP local secretary, Rosa Park,
refused to move when the bus driver demanded that she give
up her seat for a white man - The Montgomery Bus Boycott was clearly an event of major
importance in the civil rights campaign; yet it was to be the
1960s where further drama occurred - However, Montgomery remains significant as it showed the
black community could be encouraged to take action
themselves – feelings of hopelessness and despair – that
nothing could be done – were common in black communities
9
Q
Ku Klux Klan
A
- Lynching was not as common or as public as it had been in the
1930s, but it was still very much prevalent - One of the most notorious cases was that of Emmet Till as late
as 1955 – He was fourteen years old and had allegedly
whistled at a white woman – Though a trial took place of those
accused of his murder – it was an astonishingly light-hearted
affair with the jury drinking in the witness box - The defendants were found not guilty
10
Q
White Citizens Councils
A
- Organisations set up to maintain segregation – dating from
1955 in reaction to the Brown verdict on segregated education - They began in Mississippi but soon spread to Alabama and
other states in the Deep South - They aimed to maintain strict segregation in as many areas of
life as possible - They waged economic warfare against anyone supporting
integration and believed in defying Federal Court rulings if
necessary
11
Q
How did Truman (1945-1953)
support the civil rights movement
A
- In 1946, Truman created a Higher Education Commission that
sharply criticised segregation in this area - Truman’s authorisation of the desegregation of the army in 1948
was a concrete measure through an executive order - Furthermore, by addressing a meeting of the NAACP, appointing a
black to the federal judiciary and regularly inviting black people to
presidential functions, Truman was creating a climate of opinion
that made the reception of the Brown decision and the
Montgomery Bus Boycott much more positive than they would
otherwise have been
12
Q
How did Eisenhower (1953-1961) support the civil rights movement
A
- In the instance of little rock, Eisenhower eventually felt
compelled to intervene – using his authority he announced
10,000 troopers of the Arkansas National Guard were to be put
under Federal Control. – The same soldiers who had barred the
way now escorted the children into the school - Eisenhower can be commended for his use of federal authority
to intervene and enforced the Brown legal ruling – something
previous presidents had not done - However, in other situations such as in 1956, when Governor
Daniel in Texas, brought out his local troops to prevent
integration, Eisenhower did nothing
13
Q
What supportive legislation did Congress pass in this period
A
- Congress passed two Civil Rights Acts, in 1957 and 1960
- Both acts provided little to the Civil Rights movement –
however, they confirmed the idea that public attitudes were
changing. - Influenced both the Democrats and Republicans at their party
conventions in 1960 to adopt an anti-segregationist position a
14
Q
Civil Rights Act (1957)
A
- Had two key elements proposed: a bipartisan Civil Rights
Commission and a new commission to investigate civil rights
abused in fields such as voting - Even this moderate bill proved controversial and was
vigorously opposed, particularly in the senate
15
Q
Civil Rights Act (1960)
A
- This act Renewed the Civil Rights commission, allowing judges
to make special appointments of those who would help blacks
onto the voter register - Furthermore it introduced federal criminal penalties for bombing
and mob action
