The quest for civil rights, 1917-80 Flashcards
In 1917, what percentage of black Americans lived in the South?
Over 80%
How did Southern white people stop black people from voting? (3 ways)
Making them pay an expensive tax, pass a literacy test or prove their grandfathers had voted
Why did many black people migrate north after 1910? (3 reasons)
Found better jobs (particularly after 1914 when manufacturing took off), they could vote and they were unlikely to be lynched
What were the poorer parts of northern and western cities also known as, where many black Americans lived?
Ghettos
Marcus Garvey founded which Association in 1914?
The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) to inspire pride in black people and culture. He was deported in 1927 and UNIA collapsed.
How many members did the KKK have by 1925?
Around 5 million, but a series of scandals led to its decline by the late 1920s (the KKK originally started in the South after the Civil War,1861-65)
What did W.E.B Du Bois establish in 1909?
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) aimed at legal and political equality for black people
What was the aim of Executive Order 8802 issued by Roosevelt in 1941?
End discrimination because of race, creed, colour or national origin in the defence industries and in government
How did Roosevelt help further the cause of black Americans? (3 ways)
One million obtained jobs through the New Deal, appointing black Americans to senior roles in government and his wife Eleanor spoke in favour of civil rights. By 1936, black Americans overwhelmingly voted Democrat (Roosevelt’s party) when the reverse was true in 1932 (Republican).
Was Harry Truman openly racist in his youth?
Yes, though as president he realised that racial discrimination was bad for the USA - if the USA was to stand for freedom, democracy and equality. Many of his actions aimed at addressing these issues.
Which Supreme Court decision ruled that schools should be desegregated?
Brown v Board of Education, in 1954. It was a landmark ruling and the starting point for civil rights movements in the 20th century.
What organisation did James Farmer create in 1942?
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) - it was more militant than NAACP
How did Rosa Parks end segregation on Montgomery buses in Alabama?
She sat on a ‘whites only’ seat in 1955. She was arrested and tried. With the help of the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr, it led to a boycott of Montgomery’s buses and, having nearly bankrupted the bus companies, segregation ended in 1956.
What happened in 1957 at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas?
9 black students tried to attend and when white students supported by the State Governor tried to stop them, Eisenhower sent federal troops to effectively take over.
What did the 1964 Civil Rights Bill do? (4 things)
Set up and Equal Employment Commission, ensured desegregation of schools, outlawed segregation in public facilities and strengthened black American voting rights. It was JFK’s Bill, but he died before it became law.
Members of which group assassinated Malcolm X in 1965?
Nation of Islam, a group he had previously joined and helped grow, but from whom he split in 1964
Who founded the Black Panther Party in California in 1966?
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
When and where was Martin Luther King assassinated?
April 1968 in Memphis. His murder led to riots in 100 cities
By 1980, what proportion of black American people were considered middle class?
More than one-third
What role did television play in helping civil rights?
It showed people things they might not otherwise have heard about and visually showed the horror of certain events e.g. riots, racist attitudes.
What was bussing?
The practice of transporting students to schools within or outside their local school districts as a means of reducing racial segregation
In 1960, in what ways was the plight of Native Americans worse than many other minority groups? (5 things)
Many lived on reservations, unemployment 10 times the average, life expectancy 20 years below average, suicide rate 100 times that of white people, alcoholism was widespread
Who occupied Alcatraz Island in 1969?
American Indian Movement (AIM), it lasted 19 months and involved more than 400 people from 50 tribes
In 1960 there were 3 million Hispanic people in the USA. How many were there by 1980?
20 million, the largest group being Mexican Americans
In the 1930s, what were the possible consequences of being found to be homosexual?
Could be fired from your job, expelled from university, imprisoned and generally discriminated against
What gay society was founded in 1950 in Los Angeles?
The Mattachine Society
What happened at NY’s Stonewall Inn bar in June 1969?
Gay patrons refused to leave after a police raid and, when joined by 100s of other gay people, it resulted in rioting which lasted several days - the Stonewall riot.
By 1973, how many gay rights organisations were there in the USA?
Around 800
What did the American Psychiatric Association classify as a disease?
Homosexuality
What was initially considered a gay man’s disease in 1981?
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)
What prize did Martin Luther King win in 1964?
Nobel Peace Prize (the same year as the Civil Rights Act was passed)
What did the 1965 Voting Act do?
Stopped restrictive practices aimed at keeping black people from voting
When and where did Martin Luther King give his “I have a dream speech”?
1963 in Washington D.C. (Lincoln Memorial) at the end of a 250,000 strong march
Was Martin Luther King the leader of the civil rights movement?
Not really, it was too big and diverse for one person to lead, but he was certainly influential, helped by his ability as a public speaker and in supporting peaceful protests
What organisation did King found in 1957?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
