CR BOOK 2: Struggle for Civil Rights 1890-1945

[Great Migration] What is an exoduster?

post-reconstruction black migrants from the south to Kansas

[Great Migration] when did how many exodusters left the south and went north to seek a better life in Kansas?

1879 - 20,000

[Great Migration] List pull factors for the great Migration

• better pay and job opportunities

• less lynching

• established northern black communities = welcome here

[Great Migration] List the push factors of the Great Migration

• escape from south’s economic problems

• escape from Jim Crow

• escape from lynchings

[Great Migration - Northern white methods of race control] What did White Landlords and landowners refuse to do?

to sell or rent property to blacks in areas inhabited by whites

[Great Migration - Northern white methods of race control] What did school boards promote?

de facto segregation

[Great Migration - Northern white methods of race control] What did labour unions do to black workers?

excluded them

[Great Migration] What was the black population of detroit in 1910?

5,741

[Great Migration] What was the population of detroit in 1930?

120,066

[Great Migration - Problem] Northern Ghettos had high rates of what?

Tuberculosis

[Great Migration - Problem] What happened to race relations in the north and what was the consequence of this?

grew worse - revitalised the KKK

[Great Migration - Problem] What happened to KKK membership in 1921 to 1924?

1921 - 100,000

1924 - 4 million

[Great Migration - Problem] What did Baltimore pass in 1911?

first residential segregation law

[Great Migration - Problem] What resentment was present after WW1

white soldiers resenting competition with blacks for housing

[Great Migration - Impact] What did blacks have more of partly down to WW1?

spending power due to having a wage - factories in defence industries

[Great Migration - Impact] What was a social impact of the GM - think harlem?

jazz music

[Tulsa] When did the riot occur?

1921

[Tulsa] In the late nineteeth century, what did Oklahoma offer?

plentiful cheap land and greater political freedom (territory status - not yet a state)

[Tulsa] What type of migrants did Oklahoma attract?

black and white migrants from the south

[Tulsa] What was the significance of the southern migrants migrating to Oklahoma?

many of the whites were former shareholders from the south where lynching was common

[Tulsa] What contained the the wealthiest black community in the united states? And what was it’s main street called?

The Greenwood District - Black Wall Street

[Tulsa] What rumour triggered the riot?

lynching after a young black male supposedly assaulted a young white female

What was the harlem renaissance?

• cultural shift

• growth of jazz music

• popularity of radio

• growth in black middle class

What was the significance of the harlem renaissance?

led to sense of empowerment and togetherness in the black community

What were the problems with the harlem renaissance?

• poor housing

• poverty

• police problems

• poor health

[Great Depression] As a consequence of the GD, what was black unemployment?

30-60% - 4-6 times higher than whites

[Great Depression] Prior to the GD, little was done to address black grievances. What about many white americans made this so?

many white americans were racist

[Great Depression] Prior to the GD, little was done to address black grievances. What about federal intervention made this so?

no well established tradition of federal intervention to help minorities

[Great Depression] Prior to the GD, little was done to address black grievances. What about many southern whites made this so?

• most southern whites were determined to maintain white supremacy

• southern white democrats had considerable power in congress

[Great Depression - Impact on black people] What happened as crop prices plummeted?

tens of thousands of southern black farmers left the land as crop prices plummeted

[Great Depression - Impact on black people] Where did black farmers migrate to?

the city

[Great Depression - Impact on black people] What did whites organise and what did this prevent?

• whites organised vigilante groups to prevent black employment (strike breakers)

• ‘last hired first fired’

[Great Depression] What was the impact on the black middle class?

badly hit - median income for skilled workers fell by 50% between 1929 and 1932

[FDR’s New Deal] what was the 3 purposes of FDR’s new deal?

relief, recovery, reform

[FDR’s New Deal] The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) was a New Deal agency established to aid farmers. What measures did it put in place?

farmers were invited to voluntarily reduce their acrage and production in exchange for subsidies

[FDR’s New Deal] how successful was the ND in progressing Civil Rights - black voters?

roosevelt was dependent on southern democrate votes so didn’t prioritise black voters

[FDR’s New Deal] how successful was the ND in progressing Civil Rights - jim crow?

continued, FDR kept a low profile

[FDR’s New Deal] how successful was the ND in progressing Civil Rights - Anti-lynching laws?

failed due to a filibuster organised by southern democrats

[FDR’s New Deal] how successful was the ND in progressing Civil Rights - FEPC?

The Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) - led to increased employment for AAs but accomplished too little too late , many cases were dismissed.

[FDR’s New Deal] how successful was the ND in progressing Civil Rights - Voting Patterns?

caused a voting revolution - black voters in the north started voting democrat

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What percentage of AA families were receiving relief?

30% of AA families were receiving relief

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What did AA schools and hosptials benefit from?

investment

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What fraction of federally funded housing in the 30s went to AA families?

1/3

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] How many AA families did the WPA provide employment for?

1 million

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What happened to unemployment?

• unemployment remained high

• segregation still rife

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What happened to segregation?

still rife

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What happened to pay?

remained unequal

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] How many AA share croppers were evicted?

200,000

[FDR’s New Deal - Success of the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs] What did new deal agencies do?

operation of several new deal agencies discriminated against AA

[FDR’s New Deal] How successful was the New Deal in improving the economic position of AAs - interesting points?

• FDR publicly condemned lynching yet failed to support anti-lynching legislation

• black cabinet formed

• Eleanor Roosevelt was outspoken in oppsing racism

[FDR’s New Deal] What was the aim of the AAA and how did it impact black americans?

aim - stop overproduction

impact - 200,000 black sharecroppers evicted, rarely got the compensation due

[FDR’s New Deal] What was the aim of the TVA and how did it impact black americans?

aim - provide employment and electricity and improved farming methods

impact - got jobs but were discriminated against

[FDR’s New Deal] What was the aim of the WPA and how did it impact black americans?

aim - create jobs through public works and programmes

impact - average 300,000 employed annually, taught 250,000 to read and write.

[FDR’s New Deal] Voting patterns - why did black americans change from democrat to republican?

• many benefited from the new deal and as a result believed FDR cared about them

• many new deal administrators were notably keen to assist black americans

• the democratic party responded to the growing importance of the black vote

• Eleanor roosevelt devoted much time to assisting black american

[Black Experiences of WW2] What was the 761st tank battalion?

independent tank battalion of the US Army - primarily consisting of African American soldiers

[Black Experiences of WW2] Who were the Tuskegee airmen?

Group of AA military, fought in WW2

[Black Experiences of WW2] What was the 6888th?

All black female army corps - did the post

[Black Experiences of WW2] What was the WAC?

A branch of army made in WW2 to allow women to serve in combat roles

[Black Experiences of WW2] What was the significance of the military role played by AAs?

• fought for freedom at home and abroad

• more than 1 million AA men and women served in every branch

[Black Experiences of WW2] What was the significance of the GI Bill 1944?

Provided ppl with education and economic opportunities (not specifically for AAs but helped them too)

[Black Experiences of WW2] Why was EO8802 significant for AAs during the war?

banned discriminatory employment practices by federal agencies and companies engaged in war related work

[impact of WW2 - Migration] Why did the war push AAs to move to the cities (mainly north and west, away from the south)?

Defence industries became vitally important and southern farming became more large scale and mechanised

[impact of WW2 - Migration] How many AAs left southern farms?

4 million

[impact of WW2 - Migration] What did it give AAs?

• greater economic power

• greater safety (less vulnerable in large numbers in the city)

• greater political power (less disenfranchisement in the north)

[impact of WW2 - Migration] Why was tension caused in cities?

overcrowding and blacks and whites living in close proxemity

[impact of WW2 - Blacks and Whites working together] Why was their increased tension in the workplace?

• blacks and whites working together

• especially after EO8802

[impact of WW2 - Blacks and Whites working together] How many blacks served in the armed forced during WW2?

Over 1 million

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] NAACP numbers increased from what to what during the war?

50,000 - 450,000

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] What fraction of NAACP members were southern?

1/3

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] How many AAs were members of trade unions?

over 1.25 million

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] What did white americans become increasingly aware of?

American racism was not that different from that of Hitler

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] what did wartime demand for black labour give AAs?

greater barganing power

[impact of WW2 - increased black consciousness] What did A Phillip Randolf threaten to do unless there was equality within the workplace and armed forced (demand for black labour and bargaining power)?

Bring washington D.C to a standstill

[impact of WW2 - sit ins and boycotts] Who established CORE in 1942 and why?

James Farmer - christian socialist inspired by Gandhi’s non-violent tactics

[impact of WW2 - sit ins and boycotts] What type of boycotts were advocated for?

economic boycotts

[impact of WW2 - sit ins and boycotts] What did CORE organise as non-violent protest?

sit ins in segregated chicago restaurants

[impact of WW2 - sit ins and boycotts] what pushed AAs against activism like sit ins and boycotts?

• wartime prosperity

• violent race riots in detroit and harlem in 1943

[impact of WW2 - federal intervention] What did Roosevelt establish?

FEPC - Fair employment Practices committee to promote equality in defence industries

[impact of WW2 - federal intervention] what happened to 2/3s of the 8000 job discrimination cases referred to the FEPC?

dismissed

[impact of WW2 - federal intervention] What supreme court decision axed southern black political rights and in what year was it passed?

Smith V Alwright - 1944

[impact of WW2 - federal intervention] Between 1940 and 1947 the number of blacks registered to vote in the south increased from what to what?

3 - 12%

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What was suburbia/Segreburbia?

Surburbs that were de facto racially exclusive

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] Name the massive racially exclusive suburban estates

Levittowns

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What were White Citizens’ Councils?

groups of white people organised to push for racial exclusivity

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What were restrictive covenants?

legally binding agreements placed in property deeds to prohibit certain groups, particularly non-white people, from owning or living in specific areas

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What was the signifiance of Shelly V Kraemer?

a landmark civil rights ruling, in which the Supreme Court held that private racial covenants could not be enforced by the state to evict black buyers of “restricted” homes

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What was the White Flight?

whites with money moving away from areas becoming increasingly black

[impact of WW2 - Post-WW2 social issues] What were federal housing initiatives?

openly excluded applicants considered ‘risks’ (black americans)