Voter Discrimination B3 * Flashcards
How did the voting turnout decline? What violence increased?
In 1890 Mississippi began voter registration tests and then other states followed. In Louisiana, African American voters, 13,000 in 1896, fell to 5000 by 1900. Violence and intimidation ensured the African American citizens wouldn’t vote.
By 1890s, a black person was killed every 2 days. Lynching started in Civil War with torture of Union members, and increased after Civil War with no federal government to put down those offending.
What Supreme Court rulings were issued? What was the Fifteenth Amendment?
1883: United States v Harris - Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional - private discrimination not under state jurisdiction.
1898: Wilkins v Mississippi, stated that voter registration laws were not unconstitutional as they didn’t mention race in voting qualifications, ruled by Supreme Court.
1870 - Fifteenth Amendment - people shouldn’t be denied right to vote on grounds of race, colour, or previous servitude. In 1880 presidential election, South Carolina, 70% of blacks voted. By 1896 this fell to 11% - pattern across Southern states. Southern states felt slaves didn’t deserve citizenship or a say in elections and black people were required to register as voters.
What was the Plessy v Ferguson case?
1896: Plessy v Ferguson, separation didn’t imply inferior treatment of people of different races and colour. Separate but equal was ruled. In 1890, Louisiana issued segregation in railway transport. Homer Plessy challenged the law in 1892 and was punished at the New Orleans Court by Judge Ferguson. Plessy appealed to the Supreme Court, pleaing his rights under the 14th Amendment were violated, but 7-1 voted in favour of Louisiana. John Harlan, dissenting judge and former slave-owner, believed there was prejudice. He felt the decision would stimulate violence on African American civil rights.
What did Plessy v Ferguson ignore?
Plessy v Ferguson ignored the 1875 Civil Rights Act giving equal accomodation in public places for black people, and the Fourteenth Amendment, 1866, giving citizenship to freed slaves. In 1899 ruling was extended to schools. This led to under-funding, desegregation would only begin in 1954.
What actions were taken by Southern states to prevent black voters?
In 1877, Georgia issued up to $2 poll tax to vote, most black voters couldn’t afford this.
In 1890 Mississippi voters had to take literacy tests - black schools under-funded.
‘Understanding clause’ introduced by some states where Constitution had to be explained to Registrars satisfaction; this varied in difficulty according to colour of voter, benefitting poor white voters.
1898 - Lousiana issued Grandfather Clause, if your grandfather was able to vote before 1 January 1867, (when black Americans gained vote), you were exempt from having to take a literacy test. By 1910 this was used in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma against illiterate black citizens.
What was the impact of voting limitations for African Americans?
Few southern blacks could vote or become political leaders, there was little political opportunity for legislation to benefit black people, black inferiority was reinforced, Southern blacks accepted too difficult to change, the federal government and Supreme Court failed to enforce the Amendment’s spirit.
What were Reconstruction’s limits?
Reconstruction led to political but not economic equality. With no land redistribution freedmen couldn’t be equal participants in recovery. Without a stronger economy, white anti-abolitionists felt end of slavery wasn’t worthwhile and economic depression of 70s led to focus on economy. Violence, social discrimination, and disenfranchisement undermined confidence of freedmen.
What was lynching and its impact?
Lynching was the murder of African Americans for justice - between 1889-1918 2558 black men were killed - nearly a hundred a year. Murderers not tried. This only really lessened with WW1 and then the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In the 1930s Billie Holliday wrote ‘Strange Fruit.’ She was always physically sick after and audiences listened in shot. Congress never passed an anti-lynching law fearing alienation of political support.
What was Social Darwinism?
Darwin wrote the Origin of Species in 1859. Herbert Spencer, philosopher, interpreted this as survival of the fittest - poor and weak shouldn’t be helped as this interferes with laws of nature. Black ‘Sambo’ cartoons reinforced how people with dark colour justified him being treated as an inferior. Colonialism of Europe in Africa and US in Pacific and Caribbean showed attitudes. In 1887 Florida issued first segregated carriages.
