A-Level History - Civil Rights in the USA

Section 1 - African Americans

Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1992

How many slaves were there in 1861 in the USA?

4 million

In what year was Lincoln assassinated and who succeeded him?

1865
Andrew Johnson

S
How many universities did the Freedmen's Bureau help to set up?

2 universities

S
What did the 1866 Civil Rights Act state?

All races (excluding NAs) were full citizens of the US

What did the KKK aim to do in the 1860s?

Use terror to enforce separation of races
Oppose any attempt to try to persuade newly enfranchised black’s to vote republican and guarantee the supremacy of the white race

Who were the Radical Republicans and who led them?

Republicans in Congress who wanted to revolutionise the South, not reconcile with it. Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner led the Radical Republicans.

S
What happened during the 1868 Presidential election in Louisiana?

There were over 2000 deaths due to racial violence. Habeus Corpus was almost suspended.

S
What did the 15th Amendment state? What year did it happen in?

1870 - Granted African American men the right to vote. Rights of citizens shall not be denied by any state on account of race, colour or if they were a former slave

S
What did the 1871 KKK Act state?

Allowed the government to act against terrorist organizations

S
What did the 1875 Civil Rights Act say?

All citizens were entitled to full and equal enjoyment of places of public amusement.

E
What was sharecropping? How much produce did it cost AAs?

Sharecropping involved renting land and tools.
It cost 2/3 of produce.

S
What did the 1876 Case US. Cruikshank rule?

Ruled one of the enforcement acts as unconstitutional

P
How many AAs were elected to congress during the Gilded Age?

22 (20 Reps and 2 Senators)

S/P
What was the Hayes-Tilden compromise?

The Compromise of 1877 essentially ended reconstruction efforts in the South. Democrats agreed to let Rutherford B. Hayes beat Samuel Tilden in the election if Hayes agrees to remove troops from the South which would stop the enforcement of reconstruction.

S
What was the first case of separatism in 1877?

Kansas State Official Edwin McCabe tried to set up separate AA communities.

S
What was the Tuskegee Institute?

An all black university set up in 1881

S
What did US v. Harris rule?

1883 - It ruled that the 1875 CRA was unconstitutional

P
How many black congressmen did South Carolina elected 1867-87?

8

S
What did Booker T. Washington say in 1895?
What did it mean?

'Cast Down Your Bucket'
It essentially meant AAs should take responsibility for progress and accept white supremacy until that progress was made.

S
What did Plessy v. Ferguson rule?

1896 - Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" law did not violate the 14th Amendment and makes segregation a legal precedent.

P
What did Williams v. Mississippi rule?

1898 - Discriminatory voter registration laws like grandfather laws and literacy tests were NOT unconstitutional.

How many lynching deaths were there 1885-1894?

1700

P
How many AA voters were there in Louisiana in 1900 compared to 1896?

1896 - 13,000
1900 - 5,000

What book did W.E.B Du Bois publish in 1903?

The Souls of Black Folk Said that "The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression", likely in opposition to Booker T. Washington's beliefs.

What did W.E.B Du Bois believe in?

1. African Americans should demand full and immediate equality
2. do not limit themselves to vocal education
3. right to vote should not be a privilege they should have to earn
4. There should be a Talented Tenth

What was the NAACP?

Founded in 1909 - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

What did Marcus Garvey set up in 1912?

The UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association)

P
What was the Alpha Suffrage Club?

A group formed in 1913 in Chicago by Ida B. Wells Backed candidates who would support the advancement of AA rights.

E
How many homes did AA's own by 1913?

550,000 homes

S
What was 'Birth of a Nation' and who endorsed it?

A 1915 film that portrayed the KKK as heroic, leading it its resurgence. Was even endorsed by Woodrow Wilson!

What was the Black Star Line?

A shipping line incorporated by Marcus Garvey in 1916.

What happened to KKK membership over the 1920s?

It fell from 4 million to just 30,000 members.

S/E
What was the disparity in spending on schools in the 20s?

For every $7 spent on white school, only $2 was spent on black schools.

P
Who was elected as a Congressman for Chicago in 1928?

Oscar De Priest

E
What percentage of AA families were on relief in 1935 compared to white families?

AA - 35%
Whites - 10%

What did Jesse Owens do?

He won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Olympics

Who became the first AA oscar winner?

Hattie McDaniel in 1940

What significant action did Eleanor Roosevelt take to support AA civil rights?

She resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when they didn't allow Marian Anderson. a famous AA singer, to sing in constitution hall.

E
What was the NRA?

National Recovery Administration
It allowed for discrimination in wages by excluding African Americans from skilled jobs and paid them lower wages

S/E
What was the PWA?

Public Works Administration created jobs by paying unemployed people to build schools, bridges and dams. This was replaced by the Works Progress Administration in 1935. Engaged in slum clearance to create AA housing shortages.

E
What was the WPA?

Works Progress Administration
It limited AA women's employment to domestic service whilst enabling white women to seek other opportunities.

E
How did the Wagner Act benefit AAs?

It allowed the AA labour union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, to negotiate contracts to reduce hour and increase wages.

How many AAs were in the armed forces in WW2?

1.15 million

S
What was Executive Order 8587?

Passed by Roosevelt, it prohibited discrimination based on 'race, color or creed'. (1940)

S
What did CORE do?

The Congress of Racial Equality formed in 1942 and began a set of freedom rides in 1947 and 61. Helped Kennedy to authorise desegregation of interstate transport.

P
What did Smith v. Allwright do?

It ruled it to be unconstitutional for AAs to be excluded from primary party voting (1944)

S
What did Topeka v. Brown do?

Ruled in 1954 that it was unconstitutional to have segregation in public schools. Set a precedent for desegregation.

S
What was the White Citizens' Council?

It was a group formed in 1954 that tried to intimidate AAs into not claiming their rights.

S
What happened to Emmet Till?

He was a 14 year old boy who was murdered by white men.

S
What did Rosa Parks do?

She inspired the 1957 Montgomery Bus Boycotts when she chose to be arrested rather than give up her seat in 1955.

What did the 1957 Civil Rights Act do?

Authorized the prosecution for those who violated the right to vote for United States citizens

P
Who was Strom Thurmond?

He was a Democratic Senator who filibustered the 1957 Civil Rights Act (Voting Rights Act) by talking for 24 hours straight.

S/P
What was significant about the Rocky 9?

It saw President Eisenhower federalise the national guard when Orval Faubus supported an angry mob who wanted to prevent the Rocky 9 from going to school.

What was the SCLC?

1957 - Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Saw the moral power in non-violence and mass demonstrations.

P
What percentage of Southern AAs of voting age were registered to vote in 1960?

28%

How had the membership of the NOI grown 1952-60?

It had grown from 400 to 40,000

S
What did Boynton v. Virginia do?

It banned all forms of segregation on public transportation. (1960)

S
Who was James Meredith?

First black student at University of Mississippi. His enrolment set off riots against federal marshal on campus. (1962)

S/P
What happened during the 1963 SCLC demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama?

Police Chief Eugene Connor opposed the freedom riders. Connor ordered firemen to use their hoses on protesters and onlookers, and as the demonstrators fled from the force of the hoses, directing officers to pursue them with dogs. This galvanised support for the growing Civil Rights Movement.

What happened during the 1963 March on Washington?

It was attended by 250,000 people and saw MLK deliver his 'I have a dream' speech.

S/P
Who was assassinated in 1963? Why was it significant for AAs?

President John F. Kennedy
Made LBJ president and he made a series of positive reforms for AAs.

S
What did the 1964 CRA do?

It prevented local juries from deciding on cases of discrimination.

P
What was the 24th Amendment?

It banned the poll tax. (1964)

E
What was Affirmative Action?

It forced employers to actively seek black workers and universities to recruit black students. Helped achieve equality through positive action.

What were the LA Race Riots?

They were riots in 1964 that saw 4000 arrests and 14,000 troops required to restore order. Resulted in 34 deaths.

Who helped form the Black Panthers and what did they want?

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
They were a defence group against police brutality.

What happened to MLK in 1968?

He was assassinated.

S
What happened at the 1968 Olympics?

Tommie Smith and John Carlos did the Black Power salute during the national anthem.

How many Black Panthers were arrested or shot in 1969?

750 arrests and 27 shot

What impact did the FBI have on the Black Panthers?

They infiltrated the group, ensuring they never reached more than 5000 members.

E
What did Griggs v. Duke rule?

It protected AAs from discrimination by firms who insisted on an unnecessary high school diploma. (1971)

E
What did the 1972 Equal Opportunity Employment Act do?

It amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to address employment discrimination against African Americans and other minorities

P
What did the 1982 Voting Rights Act do?

It strengthened penalties against voting discrimination.

P
What did Jesse Jackson do?

He stood as a Democratic Presidential Candidate in the Party Primaries in both 1984 and 88.

E
What had the gap between AA and white incomes increased to from 1950 by 1987?

It had risen to $12,000 from $7,000

E
What was the average AA hourly wage v white hourly wage?

AA - $6.26
Whites - $7.69 (Roughly a $5.50/hour difference in today's money)

S
What percentage of whites vs AAs were graduating from high school by 1990?

77% of whites
63% of AAs

S
What happened to Rodney King?

He was attacked in 1991 in Los Angeles by police officers.

S
What did Freeman v. Pitts say?

It said no more could be done about desegregation which began to reappear due to housing ownership patterns

Section 2 - Trade Unions and Labour Rights

Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1992

What kind of approach was taken to the economy by the government at the start of the period?

Laissez-Faire

Who was John Rockerfeller?

A US Businessman who controlled 90% of the US oil refineries

Who was Andrew Carnegie?

A Scottish-born American industrialist who controlled 25% of US iron and steel production.

When were the KOL founded?

The Knights of Labor were founded in 1869

Who were the Molly Maguires?

A group of Irish immigrant miners who used violent methods such as derailing railway carriages and murder.

What happened to steel production during the Gilded Age?

It rose from 1 million to 10 million tons.

What percentage of the workforce were unskilled and how much did they make in comparison to skilled workers?

They made up 35% of the workforce but only made 33% as much as skilled workers.

What helped the KOL grow in membership?
What had it grown to 1881-86?

The Wabash Railroad Strike (Involved more than 200,000 workers)
Membership grew from 20,000 to 700,000

What destroyed the reputation of the KOL?

The Haymarket Affair (1886) - Saw 7 policemen & 4 workers killed
Saw only 100,000 KOL members left by 1890.

When was the AFL founded?

The American Federation of Labor was founded in 1886

How many rail workers were killed in accidents in 1889?

2000

How did AAs affect the labour market?

Many white workers were laid off as they could pay AAs cheaper wages. Saw many unions refuse to accept them, making it easier to exploit workers.

What act attempted to restrict monopolies?

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

What was the Homestead Strike?

A violent strike between the Amalgamated Association of Iron & Steel Workers and the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892.
Lasted 143 days with the strike being broken by Pinkertons.

What happened as a result of the Homestead Strike?

Steel Companies wouldn't unionise until 1900. Carnegie not until 1932.

What caused the Pullman strike of 1894?

They cut workers wages without cutting company housing prices. Also didn't recognise collective bargaining.

What happened during the Pullman Strike?

President Cleveland sent in some 2000 federal troops and 4 workers were killed.

What act came about because of the Pullman Strike?

The Omnibus Indictment Act
It prohibited strikers and worker reps from persuading others to strike.

How many industrial workers were there in 1900 compared to 1860?

Up to 3.2 million from 885,000