The Guilded age (1875-96) Flashcards
By how much did the literacy rate increase by 1895?
- Literacy was the main improvement in this period.
- In 1865 only one in 20 African Americans could read
- but by 1895 this had risen to 1 in 2
What institutions have increased?
- There had also been a rise in the number of African American religious organisations
- rise in banks insurance schemes and societies and companies run by African Americans
By 1900 how many African American professionals were there?
- By 1900 there were some 47,000 African-American professionals including doctors lawyers teachers and artists.
- Admittedly this was out of an African-American population of 8 million.
Why was the north Carolina mutual life assurance company founded ?
- The north Carolina mutual life assurance company was founded as a result of white people refusing to offer insurance to African Americans.
- The company grew to be extremely successful.
What did the Bureaus do to help Freed Slaves?
- Support of freed slaves - Bureaus help included
- finding homes,
- employment
- providing food
- education
- medical care.
What did the 1875 Civil Rights Act do for African Americans?
- 1875 Civil Rights Act = - equal rights applied to public areas such as:
- places of entertainment
- drinking houses
- public transport.
How did Booker T. Washington believe progress should come about?
His view was that if African Americans took advantage of the economic opportunities of the Gilded Age then privileges would follow but they could not be artificially gained by civil rights legislation.
what were the pros of booker T washington
- gained interest of President Theodore Roosevelt
- Organised the Negra Business league
- published an autobiography called Up From Slavery
what were the cons of Booker T Washington
- argued that he seemed to accept the idea of white supremacy
- was not trying to challenge the lower social position of AA
- The educational gap was widening as spending on white schools increased and black schools did not
what were W.E.B Du Bois opinions on Washington
- his views were dangerous
- limited the development of the black race
- Concerned that Booker T had nothing to say about segregation
Where did the majority of African Americans settle?
- In Chicago 5000 African-Americans were concentrated in one restricted area.
- In New York, Harlem effectively became a separate district for the city’s 23,000 African-Americans by the early 20th century.
Why did African American voters feel powerless by 1895?
Exclusion by registration laws, which restricted black voting, meant that African American voters had become a powerless minority by 1895.
What methods were used to make it harder for African Americans to vote?
- Taxes and complicated tests were established, designed to stop African-Americans from voting.
- Some state enacted ‘grandfather clauses’ which implicitly discriminated against African-Americans by allowing people whose ancestors had voted or could vote before 1867
what did lynching involve?
- white mobs would take an african american man and beat/torture him before murdering him
- usually by hanging
- it would be alleged that the victim had committed a serious crime e.g. raping a white woman
