What Was Life Like For Black Americans? Flashcards
End of slavery
1865- end of civil war
Life in the south- Jim Crow laws
American form of racial apartheid, restrict BA despite newly found freedom, segregation
Intended to regain control lost due to slavery abolition
Controlled public transport, housing, education, pub facilities, employment
Voters had to pass literacy qualification: examples gave BA harder passages, also had to be homeowners and some states held all white elections
Intimidation of black people- lynching and the KKK
Often without specific accusation
Southern lynchings advertised beforehand
1925: KKK membership ranged from 3-8million
Women not commonly associated with violence but brought up supremacist children
Harding and collide
‘Plessy vs Ferguson’ Supreme Court rule segregation constitutional if ‘separate but equal’
Harding in favour of Civil Rights and spoke out about lynching- eg university of Alabama speech
Laissez faire: provide opinion but not legislation
Northern migration
Brutal enforcement of Jim Crow in south persuaded people
Examples such as Memphis 1892 mobbing of Thomas Alass
Harlem Renaissance: migrant work, artistically fertile, Jazz from South
B Washington
Believed African Americans should become self sufficient and set up training college in Tuskegee
W E B DuBois
Advancement came from education and campaigning
Middle class African exhibition
Co founded NAACP
The Great Depression impact
Black Americans pushed out of low skilled, largely menial jobs
50% rise in unemployment (2x whites)
Impact on equality in education: black schools in shacks and white in brick, 2 story buildings
Sit ins and boycotts
Smith vs Allwright
Right to vote for primaries
Core founded
Blacks and whites co working
1 million blacks served in WWII
Violence: Alabama dry dock 1943
Segregated armed forces
Migration
2million left south farms
Movt to cities
Less vulnerable
Overcrowded cities
Urban housing shortages
Race riots eg Detroit in 1943
Increased black consciousness and activism
NAACP no increase: 50 000 and 450 000
Wartime demand- black labour bargaining power
Committee on Fair Employment Practices
WWII
Greater black urbanisation, increased awareness and activism
Inspired by US fight against fascism abroad
Media more important and groups like CORE established/ NAACP more active
Legal challenge to direct action- NAACP
Membership: 1917-1919 9, 000- 90,000 and in 1946: 600,000
Leadership: white liberals, Dubois director of publicity and research