What Was Life Like For Black Americans? Flashcards

1
Q

End of slavery

A

1865- end of civil war

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2
Q

Life in the south- Jim Crow laws

A

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

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3
Q

Intimidation of black people- lynching and the KKK

A

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

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4
Q

Harding and collide

A

‘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

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5
Q

Northern migration

A

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

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6
Q

B Washington

A

Believed African Americans should become self sufficient and set up training college in Tuskegee

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7
Q

W E B DuBois

A

Advancement came from education and campaigning
Middle class African exhibition
Co founded NAACP

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8
Q

The Great Depression impact

A

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

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9
Q

Sit ins and boycotts

A

Smith vs Allwright
Right to vote for primaries
Core founded

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10
Q

Blacks and whites co working

A

1 million blacks served in WWII
Violence: Alabama dry dock 1943
Segregated armed forces

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11
Q

Migration

A

2million left south farms
Movt to cities
Less vulnerable

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12
Q

Overcrowded cities

A

Urban housing shortages

Race riots eg Detroit in 1943

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13
Q

Increased black consciousness and activism

A

NAACP no increase: 50 000 and 450 000
Wartime demand- black labour bargaining power
Committee on Fair Employment Practices

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14
Q

WWII

A

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

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15
Q

Legal challenge to direct action- NAACP

A

Membership: 1917-1919 9, 000- 90,000 and in 1946: 600,000
Leadership: white liberals, Dubois director of publicity and research

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16
Q

Great Depression and the New Deal

A

2million Southern black farmers left land as stock prices fell
Desperate whites went into typical labour of BA
Vigilante groups such as Black Shirts of Atlanta prevented BEmployment
Unskilled labour and ‘last hired, first fired’
No effective security system: disease and starvation

17
Q

Evidence BA benefitted from new deal

A

1mill jobs provided and 50,000 public housing units, financial assistance, skilled occupations and training for 0.5million black youths
Fed assistance: sharecroppers became independent
Jobs in entertainment and cultural sector
Fed funded biracial theatrical productions criticised by congress: encouraged mixed dating

18
Q

Evidence that BA didn’t benefit from New Deal

A

Often didn’t reach the intended eg southern aid reached only WA
Govt refuse to guarantee mortgage for white area houses
TVA built all white towns
Some areas of work excluded from social security and min wage
1936 NAACP report: 6million BA in agriculture received no help

19
Q

Truman as a senator

A

Supported legislation to abolish poll tax and lynching

BA should be legally equal (housing, Civil Rights)

20
Q

Truman and relations/ policies

A

FEPC tried to end discriminatory hiring policies
Horrified by attacks on black servicemen
‘To Secure These Rights Report’: established liberal civil rights committee to investigate increasing violence against BA

21
Q

Details of ‘To Secure These Rights’

A
Anti lynching legislation 
Abolition of poll tax 
Voting rights laws
Permanent FEPC 
End to interstate discrimination 
Travel and armed force discrimination
22
Q

Truman speeches

A

1st president to address NAACP in 1947

Comparison of Cold War Soviet Enslavement or US freedom

23
Q

Truman and employment

A

Issued executive orders to end discrimination in armed forces and demand civil service fair employment
Fair employment board: minorities including federal hiring

24
Q

Truman and Supreme Court

A

Truman administration support for NAACP in Shelley vs Kraemer
Stopped BA purchasing homes in white areas

25
Q

1948 election

A

Political gamble to support BA in South

Campaign in Harlen: wins 2/3 of vote

26
Q

Actions of Truman

A

Give greater federal aid: public housing
Black governor and judge appointed
Promoted work equality: committee on Gov’t Contract Compliance
Awaken US to Civil Rights issues