How Far Did The Civil Rights Of Minorities Improve 1945-55

Question 1

What was the percentage increase of black Americans in defense-related employment from 1945?

Answer 1

Increased from three to eight percent.

Question 2

Who were the Tuskegee airmen?

Answer 2

A group of black American pilots who achieved national recognition for their role in the 15th Air Force.

Question 3

How many black Americans joined the NAACP by 1945?

Answer 3

Almost half a million.

Question 4

Who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1944?

Answer 4

Adam Clayton Powell, a black American.

Question 5

What happened to black Americans when the war ended?

Answer 5

They suffered disproportionately, losing jobs as wartime production shifted to a peacetime economy.

Question 6

Fill in the blank: The Civil Rights of minorities improved in the period _______.

Answer 6

[1945-55]

Question 7

True or False: The position of black Americans was worse in 1945 than before the Second World War.

Answer 7

False.

Question 8

What was the impact of returning servicemen on black Americans’ employment?

Answer 8

They were often the first to lose their jobs as servicemen returned to their previous positions.

Question 9

What does the term ‘popular culture’ include?

Answer 9

• Film
• Television
• Popular music

Question 10

What is required to support a claim about the revolution in popular culture?

Answer 10

Evidence.

Question 12

What was the context of racial tensions in the USA from 1920-1955?

Answer 12

Returning black servicemen faced attacks and discrimination upon their return to the USA.

The NACP leader Walter White urged President Truman to take action to end racial inequality.

Question 13

What was Executive Order 9981?

Answer 13

Issued by President Truman in July 1948, it ended the segregation of the US armed forces.

This order aimed to ensure equal treatment for black Americans in the military.

Question 14

What challenges did Truman face regarding civil rights?

Answer 14

Initially, Truman did little to aid black Americans and faced opposition from southern white voters.

He refused to enforce the hiring of black workers in Washington DC’s transit system.

Question 15

How did Truman’s policies affect the 1948 election?

Answer 15

Truman’s issuance of Executive Order 9981 was seen as a strategic move to gain black American votes in the election.

He received two-thirds of the black American vote in 1948.

Question 16

What was the significance of the report ‘To Secure These Rights’?

Answer 16

Commissioned by the Truman administration in October 1947, it advocated for civil rights reforms, including desegregation of the armed forces.

It called for anti-lynching laws and the abolition of the poll tax.

Question 17

What was the role of the Fair Employment Board?

Answer 17

Created by Truman in Executive Order 9980, it aimed to ensure equal treatment in hiring for federal jobs.

This had a significant impact on job opportunities for black Americans.

Question 18

Who was Harry S. Truman?

Answer 18

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the USA, serving from 1945 to 1953, and was known for his role in World War II and the Cold War.

He authorized the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan and proclaimed the Truman Doctrine.

Question 19

What was a poll tax?

Answer 19

A tax required by some states for voting, which often disenfranchised poor people, particularly black Americans.

It was declared unconstitutional in 1964.

Question 21

What did President Truman attempt to advance by the end of his presidency?

Answer 21

The cause of black American civil rights.

Question 22

What was significant about the Korean War (1950-53) regarding racial integration?

Answer 22

It was the first conflict where black and whites fought together.

Question 23

What was Executive Order 9981?

Answer 23

An order by President Truman that desegregated the US armed forces.

Question 24

What did Executive Order 9981 establish?

Answer 24

The President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Forces.

Question 25

What was the policy declared by Executive Order 9981?

Answer 25

Equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.

Question 26

When was Executive Order 9981 signed?

Answer 26

July 26, 1948.

Question 27

Who was the first black professional in Major League Baseball?

Answer 27

Jackie Robinson.

Question 28

What did Jackie Robinson face when he joined Major League Baseball?

Answer 28

Considerable prejudice.

Question 29

What happened to Jackie Robinson's number after he retired?

Answer 29

His number, 42, was withdrawn by all MLB teams in his honour.

Question 30

What challenges did black Americans face in sports after 1945?

Answer 30

Racial segregation, difficulty in acquiring jobs, and unequal pay and conditions compared to whites.

Question 31

Who was Joe Louis?

Answer 31

The World Heavyweight champion known as the Brown Bomber, who won more titles than any other heavyweight.

Question 32

What did Jesse Owens achieve in the 1936 Olympics?

Answer 32

He won the 100 metres and long jump.

Question 33

How did President Roosevelt respond to Jesse Owens' triumph?

Answer 33

He refused to welcome him at the White House.

Question 35

What time period does 'The USA, c1920-55: boom, bust and recovery' cover?

Answer 35

The period covers the years from around 1920 to 1955.

Question 36

What was the significance of the 1930 NAACP lobbying?

Answer 36

The lobbying prevented President Hoover from appointing arch-segregationist John Parker to the US Supreme Court.

Question 37

Who was the leading black American in the NAACP's leadership?

Answer 37

W. E. B. Dubois.

Question 38

What was the NAACP's membership growth during World War II?

Answer 38

Membership grew from 50,000 to 450,000.

Question 39

What was the NAACP's main aim?

Answer 39

To gain full civil rights for black Americans through legal means.

Question 40

What was the outcome of the Brown v Board of Education case in 1954?

Answer 40

The case ended school segregation.

Question 41

What did Executive Order 9981 achieve in 1948?

Answer 41

It ended segregation in the US armed forces.

Question 42

What was the Southern Manifesto?

Answer 42

A document opposing the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v Board of Education.

Question 43

What was the purpose of the Montgomery Bus Boycott that began in 1955?

Answer 43

To protest racial segregation on public buses.

Question 44

What was the NAACP's strategy in the South?

Answer 44

To support voter registration and campaign for the abolition of the poll tax.

Question 45

What was the significance of the Smith v Allwright Supreme Court case in 1944?

Answer 45

It ruled that white primaries were unconstitutional, thus expanding voting rights.

Question 46

What was the role of Charles H. Houston in the NAACP?

Answer 46

He supported organizing southern blacks who faced discrimination.

Question 47

What was the NAACP magazine edited by W. E. B. Dubois?

Answer 47

The Crisis.

Question 48

What was the NAACP's involvement with other organizations after 1945?

Answer 48

It worked closely with other civil rights groups to fight for black American rights.

Question 49

What was the report 'To Secure These Rights' about?

Answer 49

It was a report by the President's Committee on Civil Rights that included NAACP evidence.

Question 51

What was the significance of the Brown case of 1954?

Answer 51

The Brown case of 1954 marked the end of school segregation in the United States, as the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.

Question 52

What was the Supreme Court's decision on 17 May 1954?

Answer 52

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9-0) that school segregation contravened the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Question 53

What does the 14th Amendment guarantee?

Answer 53

The 14th Amendment guarantees US citizens equal protection of the law.

Question 54

When was the 14th Amendment passed?

Answer 54

The 14th Amendment was passed in 1868 after the Civil War.

Question 55

What was the outcome of the Plessy v Ferguson case in 1896?

Answer 55

The Supreme Court upheld legal segregation, proclaiming that 'separate but equal' facilities were legal.

Question 56

What was the reality of 'separate but equal' facilities for black Americans?

Answer 56

In practice, separate facilities for black Americans were far from equal, with less funding and poorer education.

Question 57

Who led the case to end legal racial segregation in schools?

Answer 57

The case was led by black Americans, with the NAACP legal team playing a crucial role.

Question 58

Who was the main lawyer defending the 'separate but equal' position?

Answer 58

The main lawyer was John W. Davis, who had been the Democratic candidate for the presidency in 1924.

Question 60

What significant case did the NAACP bring against segregated education?

Answer 60

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was the first significant case. ## Footnote It was significant because Kansas was not a former Confederate state and had opposed slavery during the Civil War.

Question 61

Who led the NAACP legal team in the Brown case?

Answer 61

Thurgood Marshall led the NAACP legal team in the Brown case.

Question 62

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?

Answer 62

The Supreme Court declared all racially segregated school systems were unequal.

Question 63

What psychological impact did the Supreme Court believe segregation had?

Answer 63

The Supreme Court believed segregation bred a feeling of inferiority in black American children.

Question 64

Who was appointed as Chief Justice in 1953, influencing the Supreme Court's view on segregation?

Answer 64

Earl Warren was appointed as Chief Justice in 1953.

Question 65

What was the role of the Supreme Court during Earl Warren's leadership?

Answer 65

The Supreme Court played a key role in improving minority rights during Earl Warren's leadership.

Question 66

What challenges did the Brown decision face in implementation?

Answer 66

White-dominated state governments in the Old South showed reluctance to implement the decision.

Question 67

What was the significance of the Brown decision for the NAACP and civil rights?

Answer 67

The Brown decision was regarded as a great triumph for the NAACP and black American civil rights.

Question 68

What did the NAACP declare in 'The Atlanta Declaration' after the Brown judgment?

Answer 68

The NAACP declared that 'separate but equal' has no place in public education and that segregation in public education is now unlawful.

Question 69

What did the NAACP express readiness to do following the Brown decision?

Answer 69

The NAACP expressed readiness to work with law-abiding citizens to eradicate racial segregation in public education.