OCR A-Level History - Civil Rights in the USA - Gilded Age

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Native Americans

What was life like in the Gilded Age for NA?

- More interested in protecting their traditional lifestyle.

- Many attacks by US government on NA tribes, and plains wars.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Women

How much progress occurred for women's rights?

- Not much.

- Women more involved in campaigns like prohibition, to protect their families, than in suffrage.

- However, Wyoming and Utah gave women the vote by 1870.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Women

Benefits and limitations of Industrialisation

- Increased number of women working in factory or industry work.

- Women had unequal pay to men and were often restricted to domestic or textile work.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

African-Americans

Benefits and limitations of Industrialisation

- Increased employment opportunities (employers looked for cheaper labour).

- Trade unions often excluded African Americans or other minorities.

- White workers expressed distaste towards their lack of job opportunities due to African American workers.

- Sharecropping.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Trade Unions

Benefits and limitations of Industrialisation

- More workers available to join trade unions.

- Trade unions remained unpopular by majority of workers, and AA and immigrants were uninterested with joining them.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Trade Unions

When was the Knights of Labour founded and what happened to it?

- 1869.

- 700,000 members 1886.

- After violence of the Haymarket Affair it lost its reputation and membership was 100,000 in 1890.

Extent of progress in Civil Rights

Trade Unions

Key events, the date they occurred, and details

- Haymarket Affair (1886), occurred due to a strike and increased dislike for unions, killed 7 policemen.

- Homestead Strike (1892), resulted due to the companies decision to lock the union out.

- Pullman Strike (1894), widespread railroad strike and boycott, lead to intervention by President Cleveland.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Presidents - African-Americans

President Johnson

- Allowed for discriminatory black codes.

- Aimed to return the US back to normality, didn't agree with further improving civil rights of African Americans.

- In presidency during; 1866 Civil Rights Act, First Reconstruction Act, 14th Amendment.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Presidents - African-Americans

President Ulysses S. Grant

- Worked more closely with Congress.

- Used federal troops to support 14th and 15th Amendments.

- In presidency during; 15th Amendment, 1st to 3rd Enforcement Act, 1875 Civil Rights Act.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Presidents - Trade Unions

President Cleveland

- Intervened in the 1894 Pullman Strike.

- Very negative opinion of trade unions, and ordered troops to break up the strike.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Congress - African-Americans

Impeachment of President Johnson

- Impeached Johnson in 1868.

- He survived the trial by only 1 vote.

- Congress wanted to pass more legislation to improve African American civil rights.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Congress - Trade Unions

What is the significance of the Pullman Strike for involvement with workers?

- President Cleveland intervened.

- Some 2000 federal troops were sent in to intervene to break up the strike.

- Troops fired at the protesters and killed 4.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Supreme Court - African-Americans

United States v. Harris

- 1883.

- Supreme Court ruled 1875 Civil Rights Act unconstitutional.

- Private discrimination didn't fall under federal discrimination.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Congress - Native Americans

Dawes Severalty Act

- 1887.

- Turned Native Americans into landowners and gave them full citizenship.

- Undermined their traditional beliefs that you couldn't own land.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Congress - African-Americans

What was Congress' attitude toward African American civil rights?

- Mostly supportive.

- Passed 14th and 15th Amendments, 2 Civil Rights Acts, and 3 Enforcement Acts.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Supreme Court - African-Americans

Plessy v. Ferguson

- 1896.

- 'Separate but equal'.

- Ruled segregation constitutional as it doesn't imply any inferior treatment.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

Supreme Court - African-Americans

Williams v. Mississippi

- 1898.

- Declared voter registration laws not unconstitutional.

- Due to no specific mention of race in voter qualifications.

Government Policy toward Civil Rights

State governments - African-Americans

Jim Crow

- Southern states passed discriminatory Jim Crow laws.

- Legalised segregation and made it difficult for African Americans to vote.

Government policy toward Civil Rights

State governments - African-Americans & Native Americans

Voting

- Grandfather clauses.

- Voter registration tests.

Government Policy toward Civil Rights

State governments - Trade Unions

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

- 1890.

- Attempt to restrict monopolies ability to control one type of trade.

Impact of Westward Expansion

Native Americans

What were the main impacts of westward expansion?

- Loss of traditional nomadic lifestyle.

- Unable to follow the buffalo as they were cut off by railroads.

- Other land they could travel on was occupied by settled farmers.

Divides of North-South and East-West

Examples of divides for African Americans

- South USA had black codes, Jim Crow laws, voter registration laws etc

- North USA had some of these, but less severely and African American's positions were better

- Many Southern African Americans left for the North for better civil rights and treatment