Situation Before Civil Rights Movement

Question 1

How America was governed and it’s problems

Answer 1

2 types of Govenment: Federal- covers the whole country; State- each of the 50 states had it’s own government.
The USA is large and has many social differences between each state. People in some states didn’t like being controlled by the federal government.
There are different bodies of government so that the president can’t become too powerful.

Question 2

Federal government

Answer 2

Consists of Congress, the Supreme court and the President.

Question 3

State Governments

Answer 3

Consist of State Congress, State Supreme Court and a Governor

Question 4

Congress

Answer 4

Passes laws. Laws must be passed by both houses (the senate and the house of representatives).

Question 5

Supreme court

Answer 5

Can overall state laws if they’re unconstitutional.

Question 6

President

Answer 6

Controls federal troops. Can issue executive orders (laws not passed by congress).

Question 7

State congress

Answer 7

Two-house system, like the federal one.

Question 8

State supreme court

Answer 8

Highest court of appeal in a state

Question 9

Governor

Answer 9

Controls state troops

Question 10

Plessy Vs Ferguson

Answer 10

1896, Homer Plessy entered a “white” carriage on a train; he wanted to test the 14th amendment. Supreme Court decision legalised segregation because the facilities were supposedly seperate but equal. 21 States had segregation laws. Segregation on transport was now enforced and was generally accepted

Question 11

Jim crow laws

Answer 11

Nickname for segregation laws in the south. ‘Jim Crow’ was a derogitory comedy character.

Question 12

Discrimination in Northern states

Answer 12

Segregation not legally enforced but caused by discrimination. Black people generally had worse jobs and lived in poor areas called ghettos(had poorly maintained facilities). Workers in poorly funded schools and hospitals had to deal with old buildings and equipment shortages.

Question 13

Discrimination in Southern states

Answer 13

Segregation caused by racist state laws. Black Americans couldn’t eat in “white” resturants. Could be thrown off of buses or arrested if they didn’t sit in the coloured section. Black Schools had worse funding and state law allowed this.

Question 14

Black Americans and voting

Answer 14

They were allowed to vote, but by 1956 only 20% of them had registered to do so. This is because: many were intimidated by gangs if they tried to register, employers might’ve sacked them, unfair literacy tests made it harder for black people (they’d be given harder questions)

Question 15

How did southern attitudes make change unlikely

Answer 15

Many southerners saw black people as inferior, unintelligent and lazy. Police and law courts were filled with racists (many in the KKK). Black Americans had the right to vote but only 20% of them had been registered by 1956.

Question 16

How did changes in education help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 16

Better education became avaliable to black people (mainly in the North) meant more black professionals. This allowed them to use their influence and prove that they’re as intelligent as white people.

Question 17

How did new ideas help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 17

Research had disproved that races could be genetically inferior and showed that segregation made black people feel inferior.

Question 18

How did the second world war help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 18

Black Americans had seen integration in other countries and had fought for the US. This made them push for civil rights as they felt they’d earned to be treated better. Some white people had fought alongside black people.

Question 19

How did television help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 19

Made people more aware of racial injustice

Question 20

How did the cold war help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 20

It made the US government sensitive to international criticism about how black people are treated in their country

Question 21

How did growth in southern cities help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 21

New industries grew giving black people more job opportunities.

Question 22

How did migration help the civil rights movement grow in the 1950s

Answer 22

Poor black people moved north and liberal white people moved south, changing southern communities.

Question 23

NAACP

Answer 23

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Set up in 1909 and campaigned for equality to overthrow plessy. Focused on fighting for civil rights in the court. Provided evidence that facilities weren’t equal.

Question 24

CORE

Answer 24

Congress Of Racial Equality set up in 1942. Had many white-middle-class members. Targeted segregation and used non-violent direct action such as strikes, boycotts ect which gained sympathy and attention. Members trained not to react to being spat on or sworn at and the best position to lie in if being beaten.

Question 25

Church organisations

Answer 25

Centre of Southern Black communities. Black Church leaders were good speakers and could negotiate. They weren’t at risk of losing their jobs and were educated. Churches were used as meeting points for marches or protests. Black churches often targeted by white communities and the KKK

Question 26

White opinions on black southern churches…

Answer 26

…were mixed. White political leaders were wilking to talk to the Church leaders. Some white people were suspicious of the Churches because it showed that black people could be organised- intimidating. Many were scared of the Black churches’ power.

Question 27

RCNL

Answer 27

Regional Council of Negro Leadership. Set up in 1951 and campaigned for voter registration and against police brutallity

Question 28

Murder of Emmit Till

Answer 28

14 year old from Chicago visiting family in Mississippi. Accused of wolf whisteling Carolyn Bryant in a shop. Kidnapped August 1955 then beaten and killed by Rob Bryant and Rob’s half brother. His mother insisted that his body was brought home and held an open casket funeral to show the world what had been done; created publicity even though this was normal in Mississippi.

Question 29

Emmit Till trial and consequence

Answer 29

Trial was reported across the country. Jury had cleared the defendants after an hour and they sold the story to the magazine where they admitted to the murder. Caused outrage; no justice. Controversial open casket funeral shows the world what had happened.

Question 30

George Lee and Lamar Smith

Answer 30

Mississippi 1955, both murdered for registering to vote. No arrest made for either. Lee’s shooting written off as a car accident

Question 31

Opposition to civil rights: state governments

Answer 31

Attempts at civil rights often blocked by Southern members of the house of representitives and the senate congress

Question 32

Opposition to civil rights: dixiecrats

Answer 32

Southern democrats who formed their own breakaway party to not follow a civil rights bill passed by Truman in 1948. Rejoined the democrats in 1954 but kept strong veiws on segregation. Enough of them in congress to have a big impact.

Question 33

Opposition to civil rights: state governors

Answer 33

Governors and other local authorities could favour segregation. No black judges and black juries could be banned.

Question 34

Opposition to civil rights: Southern (white) Churches

Answer 34

Claimed integration was a sin.
Many memebers in the KKK

Question 35

KKK

Answer 35

Organised demonstrations against civil rights and were involved in violent attacks