New Deal last Flashcards
(36 cards)
Was there overall improvement in the lives of black Americans during the New Deal Era?
- Federal Government did little or nothing to aid black Americans, making the situation seem unpromising for black Americans.
Why was legislation hard to pass for black Americans in the south?
- Supreme Court was dominated by conservative justices
- Franklin Roosevelt didn’t want to alienate the southern Democrats, whilst caring more about the economic depression
- White voters weren’t focussed on black progress during the Depression.
- White Southern Democrats had strong power in the US congress/
What was the south’s single party system and why was it impactful?
- Impactful because there would be repeated re-election of the same Democrat candidates who were invariably more conservative than Democrats in the rest of America
- Southern Democrat domination enabled the blockage of black legislation, therefore meaning a failure to address black grievances.
4 disadvantages that northern black Americans suffered from
- They could vote but they never won state-wide office because many white people would only vote for white candidates
- De facto segregation kept black Americans in northern ghettos such as Harlem and South Side Chicago.
- Police brutality was similar in the northern cities as it was in the south against black Americans.
- Black Americans in the north were equally as poor as southerners.
Disadvantages for black Americans the south?
1) Most were employed in unskilled work such as sharecropping and domestic service
2) De jure segregation meant that Jim Crow was firmly stable
3) Most were excluded from voting through poll taxes, literacy tests etc.
4) White people dominated law enforcement and black Americans lacked protection with 1200 black Americans being lynches in the years 1901-1929
Why did President Roosevelt not comment much about Jim Crow Laws?
- As a Democrat, he didn’t want to alienate the southern Democrats from voting for him
What happened when FDR’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt attended a biracial meeting? (when)
- In 1938, when sitting next to a black delegate, Bull Connor, Birmingham’s Police Chief tried to stop it, emphasising segregationist attitudes.
By 1941, what percentage of black people could vote in the south?
- only 3%
Why did inability to vote lead to continued inferiority for black Americans?
- They couldn’t vote for politicians that sympathised with their rights so had no chance of legislation that would improve their lives.
Why were anti-lynching bills defeated in congress?
- Due to the influence and strategies of southern Democrats.
How did the Southern Democrats use filibusters?
- Filibusters were attempts to slow down legislative procedures through prolonged speeches which prevented any final decision being made.
What was the Costigan Wagner Bill?
- the Costigan-Wagner Act sought to impose fines or imprisonment on local and state officials who failed to prevent death or injury at the hands of a lynch mob.
Why did Roosevelt dismiss Costigan Wagner?
- He didn’t want to alienate southern Democrats
Why was the Great Depression more damaging for black Americans than white Americans?
- Black people were already poorer than white Americans and less likely to have marketable skills
- No scial security system so black Americans were left starving.
- Unskilled black workers were first to be fired and last to be hired
- Black unemployment rate was 5 times higher than that of white people. `
Why was the AAA issued?
- Agricultural Adjustment Act issued in 1933 to deal with the problem of overproduction by inviting farmers to decrease their production in exchange for government subsidies
Disadvantages of the AAA on black Americans
- White landlords who owned farms would often evict black Americans to respond to the AAA
(200,000 black Americans evicted in 7 years) - White landowners kept it for themselves
- Even when the Government gave cheques to black Americans, they were intimidated into giving cheques to white landowners
- Many landowners used subsidies to buy better machinery that would replace black workers.
- Even when labour was needed, black Americans were excluded from welfare rolls which meant they were paid very low wages
What did the NAACP conclude about the amount of black Americans paid by 1936?
- NAACP report complained that six million black agricultural workers received no federal aid, although that situation subsequently improved.
What was the aim of the CCC?
- Civilian Cnservation Corps aimed to create jobs for the unemployed.
How many CCC workers by 1935?
- 500,000
How many black Americans worked in the CCC across 7 years?
- 200,000 black Americans
Why were black Americans limited by the CCC?
- Restricted to lower skilled jobs
- Segregation
- Complaints of having black recruits in neighbourhoods
- Discrimination, e.g not hiring black Americans due to unitelligence.
What was the NRA ?
- National Recovery Administration aimed to recover businesses and manufacturing
Disadvantages of the NRA for black Americans?
- NRA allowed regional differentiated wages so black workers’ wages in the south were lower than in the north
- NRA excluded low skilled workers which accounted for three quarters of black Americans
- Employers redefined black workers’ jobs to avoid the set wage levels
Which alphabet agency was very good for black Americans?
- NYA (National Youth Administration) - gave aid and taught skills to 500,000 young black Americans, distributing money regardless of race.
