The USA Flashcards
What did the Jim Crow law do?
Stopped interracial marriage, segregated all public places, segregated transport, segregated education
What did discrimination do?
It ensured that blacks got the worst jobs and therefore could not afford good housing or luxuries
What did the idea of ‘separate but equal’ state?
Segregation was constitutional as long as facilities for each race were equally well equipped
What did southern states do to stop blacks voting?
They imposed poll tax which blacks could not afford, they imposed literacy tests which were full of impossible questions like ‘how many bubble are there in a bar of soap’
Explain CORE
Congress of racial equality, founded by black activist, followed peaceful protest style from Ghandi
Explain the NAACP
National association for the advancement of coloured people, founded in 1909 by black intellectuals, worked inside the law, helped in lots of civil cases to keep blacks out of prison
What progress was there in the 1940’s?
There was very little progress and discrimination and segregation remained the way of life
Explain the Brown vs Topeka case
Linda Browns parents wanted her to attend the local school rater than the school for blacks, NAACP lawyers worked to approve the decision, facilities weren’t equal
What were the results of the Brown Topeka case?
Schools had to be integrated at the earliest possible stage, many states ignored or delayed this
What happed to Autherine Lucy?
She was let into Alabama university after a court case, there were so many riots she was made to leave, 1956
What happened at Little Rock High?
In 1959, 9 black students were allowed to enrol at Little Rock High, there were massive riots and students were followed everywhere by guards, president sent in troops, all Arkansas schools closed until 1959
What did Little Rock achieve?
Proved the president would enforce segregation, embarrassed the US in front of the world, highlighted how bad the situation was in southern states
What caused the Montgomery bus boycott?
Public transport was segregated, blacks could not sit next to whites, if black section was full and white was not blacks still had to stand
Who was Claudette Colvin?
In 1955 she would not give up her seat for a white but was ignored by the NAACP because she had an illegitimate child
Why was Rosa Parks so successful?
1955, she was the local member of the NAACP, she was educated, she just took the abuse from citizens
How many people were involved in the boycott?
20,000
What were the original demands of the boycotters?
They wanted to be able to sit in white seats if they were empty, these demands were refused by the authorities
What were the final demands of the boycotters?
They wanted full desegregation on busses
How did blacks live without the busses?
They used black taxi services with super low fares, churched bought cars
How did authorities try to stop the boycott?
The black taxi service was stopped, church cars were stopped for minor traffic offences, churches had to go to Lloyds in London to get insurance
How did the white public try to stop the bus boycott?
They started a white council which harassed boycotters, even firebombed Kings house, and arrested the leaders of the boycott
How long did the boycott last?
Almost 1 year
What were the results of the boycott?
Busses were integrated although bus stops were still segregated, the KKK came to Montgomery and terrorised blacks