The quest for civil rights, 1917-80

Question 1

List eight ways in which the Great Migration had an impact on the North and the South.

Answer 1

The Great Migration also began a new era of increasing political activism among Black Americans, who after being disenfranchised in the South found a new place for themselves in public life in the cities of the North and West. The civil rights movement directly benefited from this activism.

Question 2

List the ways in which black Americans were at a disadvantage during the New Deal, the Second World War and Truman’s presidency.

Answer 2

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) refused to guarantee mortgages for blacks who tried to buy in white neighbourhoods, and the CCC maintained segregated camps. Furthermore, the Social Security Act excluded those job categories blacks traditionally filled. The story in agriculture was particularly grim.
In addition to battling the forces of Fascism abroad, these Americans also battled racism in the United States and in the US military. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps all segregated African Americans into separate units because of the belief that they were not as capable as white service members.
His cold war focus meant he concentrated more on fighting communism than on fighting for civil rights.

Question 3

List three ways in which the Greensboro sit-ins changed civil rights tactics.

Answer 3

The Greensboro Sit-In was a critical turning point in Black history and American history, bringing the fight for civil rights to the national stage. Its use of nonviolence inspired the Freedom Riders and others to take up the cause of integration in the South, furthering the cause of equal rights in the United States.