Lesson 4: The New South

Henry Grady

A journalist and orator who promoted the idea of a New South, advocating for economic modernization and industrialization after the Civil War.

Crop-lien system

A credit system used by farmers in the South after the Civil War, allowing them to borrow against their future crops to purchase supplies, often leading to cycles of debt.

Redeemers

A political coalition in the South during the late 19th century that aimed to restore white Democratic control and reduce the influence of Reconstruction-era policies.

Mississippi Plan

A strategy implemented in the late 19th century by Southern Democrats to disenfranchise African American voters and restore white supremacy through voter suppression tactics, including literacy tests and poll taxes.

Citizens Committee

A group formed in the late 19th century to protect the rights of African Americans and challenge white supremacy, often through legal and political activism.

Daniel Desdunes

Wanted to challenge the law of segregated train cars. He was 1/8th black and could pass as white, so he sat in the white section and caused a scene. He was then arrested, but it was ruled that interstate travel did not apply to the law. The case was thrown out of the court.

Homer Plessy

An African American man who challenged Louisiana's segregation laws by sitting in a whites-only railroad car, leading to the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.

Plessy VS. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1896 that upheld racial segregation laws for public facilities under the "separate but equal" doctrine, legitimizing state-sponsored discrimination.

Wilmington Riot of 1898

A violent coup in Wilmington, North Carolina, where white supremacists overthrew the elected biracial government, resulting in the deaths of dozens of African Americans and the expulsion of many from the city.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching campaign in the United States, advocating for civil rights and social justice.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator and leader who promoted vocational training and economic self-reliance for African Americans, advocating for a gradual approach to racial equality.

W.E.B. Du Bois

A prominent African American sociologist and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans.

Militancy

A strategy emphasizing direct action and protest to achieve civil rights and social justice, often in response to systemic oppression.

Conciliation

A strategy focused on compromise and negotiation to resolve conflicts and promote racial harmony, often contrasting with more militant approaches.

Tuskegee Institute

An educational institution founded by Booker T. Washington in Alabama, aimed at providing vocational training for African Americans.

NAACP

A civil rights organization founded in 1909 to fight for the rights of African Americans through legal challenges, advocacy, and public education.