Unit 6 1865-1900 2/10/2025 Flashcards
What is discrimination?
Unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people.
What was the significance of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?
It upheld a Louisiana law requiring ‘Separate but equal’ accommodations on railroads.
What legal precedent did Plessy v. Ferguson establish?
‘Separate but equal’ doctrine.
What laws did the Plessy v. Ferguson decision lead to?
Jim Crow laws.
What are Jim Crow laws?
A group of segregation laws adopted by southern states.
What was one consequence of the rise of Jim Crow laws?
Loss of Civil Rights for African Americans.
What measures contributed to the demise of black voter registration?
Literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses.
What were the effects of literacy tests on black voter registration?
It disenfranchised many black voters.
What is a poll tax?
A fee required to vote, often used to restrict voting access for poor and minority populations.
What is a grandfather clause?
A provision that allowed individuals to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes if their ancestors had been eligible to vote before the Civil War.
What were the penalties for blacks accused of crimes during this period?
Stiffer penalties compared to their white counterparts.
What an example of how segregation was handled in this time period?
Whites and blacks should have the same things but the whites things were superior (White movie theaters v black movie theaters). This was purposeful do the whites can say they were equal
What term refers to African Americans who moved to Kansas and Oklahoma?
“Exodusters”
This movement was part of the larger migration of African Americans seeking better opportunities and escaping segregation in the South.
Who wrote the black newspaper called Memphis Free Speech?
Ida B. Wells
Wells was a prominent journalist and activist who campaigned against lynching and Jim Crow laws.
What was the primary focus of Ida B. Wells’ activism?
Campaigning against lynching and Jim Crow Laws
Her work highlighted the injustices faced by African Americans in the post-Reconstruction era.
What institution did Booker T. Washington establish in Tuskegee, Alabama?
An industrial school
This school was aimed at teaching practical skills to African Americans.
What organization did Booker T. Washington establish to promote black business?
The Negro Business League
This organization aimed to support and develop black-owned businesses.
What was Booker T. Washington’s belief regarding segregation?
To show whites that blacks are smart and on their level
Washington advocated for vocational education as a means to gain respect and reduce segregation.
What was the Granger Movement?
The first widespread attempt by farmers to fight against industrial influence
Founded by Oliver Hudson Kelley in 1867
Who founded the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry?
Oliver Hudson Kelley
Established in 1867
Why did farmers feel economically oppressed during the Granger Movement?
Railroads discriminated against the smaller farmer
What efforts did the Grangers undertake to improve the farmer’s plight?
Establishing farmer’s cooperatives
What was the significance of Munn v. Illinois?
The Supreme Court upheld the right of a state to regulate businesses of a public nature such as railroads
What did the Interstate Commerce Act (1886) require regarding railroad rates?
Railroad rates be ‘reasonable and just’
This act aimed to regulate the railroad industry to ensure fair pricing.
What agency was established by the Interstate Commerce Act (1886)?
The first federal regulatory agency, the Interstate Commerce Commission
This agency was created to oversee railroad operations and enforce regulations.
What was the significance of the Supreme Court case Wabash v. Illinois?
Individual states could not regulate interstate commerce
This ruling limited state authority over interstate trade and commerce.
What effect did the Wabash v. Illinois decision have on the granger laws?
Nullified many of the granger laws
The granger laws were state laws designed to regulate railroad rates and practices.
Which case did the Wabash v. Illinois decision reverse?
Munn v. Illinois
Munn v. Illinois had previously allowed states to regulate certain aspects of interstate commerce.
By what year did the US population triple from 23.3 million to 76.2 million?
By the end of the 19th Century
What was the immigrant population in the US by 1900?
16.2 million
What are some push factors that caused immigration?
- Poverty
- Political turmoil
- Overcrowding
- Religious persecution
What are some pull factors that attracted immigrants to the US?
- Land of opportunity
- Availability of industrial jobs
What distinguishes ‘Old’ immigrants from ‘New’ immigrants?
‘New’ immigrants were primarily from Southern & Eastern Europe
What characteristics did many ‘New’ immigrants share?
- Many were poor and illiterate
- Predominantly Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Jewish
What does the term ‘birds of passage’ refer to in the context of immigration?
Young men saving up money to bring back to their family in their native lands
How did many immigrants retain their cultural identity in the US?
By largely retaining old world customs
What types of segregated communities did immigrants establish?
- Little Italy’s
- Chinatowns
True or False: Americans embraced immigration with open arms.
False
Fill in the blank: By the end of the 19th Century, the US population had _______.
tripled
What was ironic about the placement of the Statue of Liberty in 1886?
It symbolized immigration while new laws were restricting it
The Statue of Liberty was intended to represent hope and freedom for immigrants arriving in the United States.
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act?
An 1882 law that restricted Chinese immigration
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States.
What types of individuals were targeted by immigration restrictions in 1882?
Paupers, criminals, and mentally incompetent individuals
These restrictions reflected the prevailing attitudes towards certain groups deemed undesirable.
Which groups were involved in efforts to restrict immigration?
- Labor unions
- Nativists
- Social Darwinists
These groups believed that restricting immigration was necessary to protect jobs and maintain social order.
True or False: Immigration restrictions completely stopped newcomers from entering the US.
False
Despite restrictions, almost 15% of the US population were immigrants.
Fill in the blank: In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was placed on its pedestal in NY Harbor, symbolizing _______.
[immigration]
What percentage of the US population were immigrants around the time of the Statue of Liberty’s placement?
Almost 15%
This statistic highlights the significant presence of immigrants in the US despite restrictive laws.
