Topic 3: The influence of Southern whites in the Democratic Party

Question 1

-in the years between Reconstruction and 1933, why did Congress fail to address black grievances?

Answer 1

dominated by white Southern Democrats who were conservative on race issues

Question 2

why did white Southern Democrats dominate Congress?

Answer 2

white southerners invariably voted Democrat (one-party system) so led to repeated election of same Democrat candidates to Congress

Question 3

what was the consequence of the one-party system in the South?

Answer 3

long-serving Southern Democrats gained disproportionate influence in Congress

Question 4

what was a result of a Congress dominated by Southern Democrats?

Answer 4

failure to address black grievances

Question 5

what were 4 black grievances at this time?

Answer 5

• political status
• social status
• economic status
• legal status

Question 6

stat to show Southern Democrat domination of Congress?

Answer 6

• controlled over half of the committee chairmanships
• controlled the key committees

Question 7

BA ability to vote in North vs South?

Answer 7

• could vote in North
• few could in South due to barriers implemented by state govs

Question 8

what kind of work did BA do across the nation?

Answer 8

unskilled occupations e.g. domestic help, railroad porters, waiters

Question 9

what are some well paid jobs that some BA obtained in the North?

Answer 9

• work in car factories in Detroit
• meatpacking in Chicago

Question 10

what were economic opportunities like in the North compared to the South?

Answer 10

better!

Question 11

what jobs did many BA occupy in the South?

Answer 11

sharecroppers, some in industry

Question 12

why was economic progress difficult for BA in the South?

Answer 12

because of segregated and underfunded education

Question 13

what type of segregation existed in the North vs the South?

Answer 13

de facto in the North, de jure in the South

Question 14

what did de facto segregation in the North look like?

Answer 14

black urban population crowded into ghettos

Question 15

examples of Northern ghettos?

Answer 15

New York’s Harlem
Chicago’s South Side

Question 16

what type of behaviour did BA have to display in the south?

Answer 16

black males had to avoid eye contact with white females to avoid being accused of harassment, BA had to step aside for WA on the sidewalk

Question 17

were lynchings common in the North’?

Answer 17

yes, although not as common as in the South

Question 18

how were lynchings perceived by WA in the South?

Answer 18

lynchings and violence seen as acceptable forms of race control

Question 19

why did BA not have effective protection by the law in the South?

Answer 19

WA dominated law enforcement- judges and juries were all white

Question 20

stat for the number of lynchings in the south?

Answer 20

over 1200 between 1901-1929

Question 21

what organisation campaigned for anti-lynching legislation?

Answer 21

NAACP

Question 22

what was the name of the Republican who introduced an anti-lynching bill to the House of Representatives?

Answer 22

Leonidus Dyer

Question 23

what house did Dyer introduce his bill to?

Answer 23

House of Representatives

Question 24

when did Leonidus Dyer introduce his anti-lynching bill?

Answer 24

1918

Question 25

what happened to Dyer's anti-lynching bill in 1918?

Answer 25

got nowhere in Democrat-controlled Congress

Question 26

how dis Southern Democrats resist another anti-lynching bill in 1919?

Answer 26

by refusing to come to the House Chamber

Question 27

what happened to the Dyer Bill in 1922?

Answer 27

passed by the House of Representatives, BUT killed off by a Senate filibuster

Question 28

why did the Dyer Bill pass the House of Reps in 1922?

Answer 28

due to NAACP pressure and publicity

Question 29

what years was the Dyer Bill also rejected?

Answer 29

1922, 1923, 1924

Question 30

what technique did Southern Democrat Congressmen use to prevent the Dyer Bill passing?

Answer 30

filibusters

Question 31

what is a filibuster?

Answer 31

attempt to prolong debate on a bill and delay a vote

Question 32

despite a lack of anti-lynching legislation, what contributed to decreased lynchings in the 1920s?

Answer 32

publicity

Question 33

when was the Great Depression?

Answer 33

1929

Question 34

what was the result of the Great Depression?

Answer 34

prompted unprecedented federal government intervention in economy and society

Question 35

what was the impact of fed gov intervention on BA during the Great Depression?

Answer 35

- considerable help for BA - BUT SWD worked effectively to prevent BS from benefitting from fed gov measures

Question 36

how did the Great Depression hit BA compared to WA?

Answer 36

hit BA harder

Question 37

stat for urban black unemployment?

Answer 37

urban black unemployment was 4-6x higher than white unemployment

Question 38

reasons why BA urban unemployment was higher than WA?

Answer 38

- desperate WA moved into low-paid jobs previously dominated by BA - 'last hired and first fired' policy by many employers

Question 39

how did some WA try to prevent black employment during the Great Depression?

Answer 39

organised vigilante groups e.g. the Black Shirts of Atlanta

Question 40

example of vigilante group to prevent black employment?

Answer 40

Black Shirts of Atlanta

Question 41

what group of BA were hit hardest by the Great Depression? evidence?

Answer 41

the black middle class - percentage of black owned property in Harlem decreased from 35% in 1929 to 5% in 1935 - median income for skilled workers decreased 50% between 1929 and 1932

Question 42

stat for median income of skilled workers?

Answer 42

fell 50% between 1929- 1932