USA Flashcards
How were Black American discriminated against in 1950s
North: had the worst jobs, lived in poorest parts of towns
South: State laws enforced segregation
Why did the civil rights movement grow
Education, Impact of WW2, Cold war, Television, New ideas
Brown v Board summary
1952 NAACP took 5 desegregation cases to Supreme Court. Argued that seperate was NOT equal and its against the 14th Amendment. May 1954 Supreme Court finally rule that ‘Seperate but Equal’ had no place in education. May 1955 Supreme Court called for desegregation
Short term success of brown v board
Plessy was reversed
Led to many further legal victories
Southern border states desegregated schools
Evidence of Brown v Board being unsuccessful
Threats & violence to black children that attempted to integrate schools
KKK memberships grew
White parents protested outside of schools
Long term effects of brown v Topeka ruling
Black students faced hostility in integrated schools
More awareness of Civil Rights but NAACP membership fell
Whites moved away from areas with blacks
What is Little Rock
9 black students were enrolled into a white school. 250 state trooper are sent to stop the black children and to “keep the peace” so then Eisenhower deploys federal troops to take control of the state troops
Significance of Little Rock
Forced Eisenhower to take action
1957 Eisenhower introduced the first Civil Rights Act since 1875
It attracted word-wide attention
What was the Montgomery bus boycott 1955
When Rosa Parks decided to not give up her seat for a white person she got arrested so then all black people stopped getting on buses. This was bad for the USA economy as most people on the bus were black because they didn’t have good jobs to afford cars. It made the economy lose money
Successes of the bus boycott
Buses were desegregated
A symbol of victory in legal terms
Showed power of non-violent protests
Brought MLK into spotlight
Unsuccesses of the bus boycott
White backlash
MIAs leaders were attacked
Black people on buses were shot
No further desegregation happened
Bus stops were still segregated
Emmett Till’s death for change
Influenced Rosa Park, Catalyst for Civil Rights Movement, Shows ugliness of racism, Anger increased number of supports for Civil Rights
Emmett Till’s death against change
Court case showed there was no racial prejudice as there were no convictions. Still murders, and murderers stay unconvicted
Black Panthers 1966
Much more violent and more aggressive approaches and protests. Street patrols, pressed local government officials to improve life for blacks. Marched to Sacramento with guns to protest anti-gun law.
Greensboro sit-ins 1960
Four black students in Greensboro shopped at Woolworths and waited to be served. The students sat in white only sit-ins and refused to move until closing time. Next day 25 students joined and sat in shifts. Two days later there were over 300students working in shifts, black, white, female, male. Wihtin weeks thousands were taking part
Jim Crow Laws in the south
Enforced segregation that covered all aspects of life. For example most black people worked on farms as servants, police full of racist white officials, only 20% of blacks could vote. The few Southeners who objected to discrimination were called ‘white niggers’ and faced the same violence that blacks faced.
Freedom riders 1961
The Freedom Riders were CORE campaigners rode buses to highlight that desegregation had not happened. In 1961 the KKK firebombed a bus in Aniston, and buses were also attacked in Montgomery with little police protection, some riders arrested in Mississipi
Freedom rides continued throughout 1961 - Federal government said that they would send federal troops if states did not desegregate bus facilities
James Meredith case 1962
James Meredith, a black student, was rejected from Mississippi university and the NAACP challenged his rejection. The Supreme Court ordered the university to admit him but officials still stopped him. In 1962 Kennedy sent the National Guard and federal troops soldiers into Mississippi to make sure that he could take his place at a university.
Civil Rights Act 1964 achievements and limitations
Banned Discrimination in voting, in public spaces and in jobs. Gave the government power to enforce desegregation. However many in the deep South found ways against desegregation
Voting Rights Act 1965 achievements and limitations
Improved voter registration for Black Americans. Although approx 80,000 had been registered by end of 1965 it was still a very slow process
Reasons for the emergence of Black Power 1966
The Black power movement encouraged black Americans to be proud of their heritage and rejected white help and the idea of integration. They were popular amongst the poor as they focused on local issues and tried to improve the lives of those living on the ghettoes
What did MLK do
He led the boycott through the use of his speeches and influence on people fighting for Civil Rights. His influence led to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in desegregating buses in Montgomery. This success then led to MLK’s recognition and made him the public leader of the Civil Rights Movement which caused further victories. He urged black Americans to show their opposition to discrimination peacefully with non-violent direct action.
Dixiecrats
They opposed racial integration and wanted to retain Jim Crow laws and other aspects of racial discrimination.
Selma, Alabama 1965
Only 1% of blacks in Selma Alabama were registered to vote – a protest march was stopped from crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge by state troopers with tear gas/cattle prods/clubs. This became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ and prompted President Johnson to send federal troops to escort the marchers from Selma to Montgomery on 21-24 March
