The position of African-Americans before WW1 Flashcards
What was clear for African-Americans by 1890?
That the hopes of achieving their equality had been set back by Southern white supremacists, and that the so-called ‘Jim Crow system’ was still in operation.
What was this imprisonment of African-American freedom symbolised by?
The regular occurrences of lynchings across the South between 1889 and 1929. 3724 people were lynched - 85% of the victims were black.
What happened to the perpetrators of the lynchings?
Fewer than 50 were arrested and only 4 were sentenced
What happened with the situation of lynching in 1901?
A former slave, Congressman George Henry White, proposed an Anti-lynching Bill to make lynching a federal crime, but this and later bills were defeated in Congress.
What happened to such attempts of reform for the blacks?
They were openly opposed by elected politicians. One example of the role and influence of elected politicians was Governor Ben Tillman of South Carolina, who openly encouraged lynch mobs, and even participated personally.
Why could Tillman get away with his actions?
He had total dominance of local politics. People like Tillman had enormous clout in the Democratic Party. They could defy the federal government, which could do little to prevent actions by Southern politicians to take away black voting rights.
Why was it difficult for African-American activists to fight back?
- There was entrenched political power in the South.
- There was a tendency of Northern politicians to look the other way - even when there were race riots in the North
What happened in NYC in 1900?
There was terrible violence between African-Americans and Irish-Americans.
What happened in Illinois in 1908?
A lynch mob ran riot in Springfield and 2 black people and 4 white people were killed.
How was some progress achieved?
The Springfield riot shocked the nation and led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) in equal voting rights.
Describe the leadership of the NAACP?
In the beginning, most of the officials were white liberals, but there were also several better-off black people in the leadership, including WEB Du Bois.
Why was black progression limited by Wilson?
Although some hopes were placed in his public statements in the 1912 campaign, Wilson himself was a Southerner, and constrained by his dependence on the Solid South.
What showed how far there was still to go for black people?
The revival of the KKK from 1915.
