USA Key Topic 1 (Civil Rights) Flashcards
What was segregation like in the 1950s Southern States?
-White and black people used different entrances to buildings, waiting rooms, schools, restaurants, transport etc.
-Maxim of ‘separate but equal’ from Plessy v Ferguson set precedent of separation, however facilities were not equal.
What was segregation in education like in the 1950s Southern States?
-Black people were given a lower quality of education as they were in segregated schools which had poor facilities and were underfunded.
What was discrimination against black people like in the 1950s Southern States?
-Black people severely discriminated against as attitudes of white Americans (especially Southern) did not change since abolition of slavery, still seen as inferior.
-Examples: violence from KKK, black peoples’ houses bombed, lynched by KKK, faced police brutality
What voting rights did black people have in the 1950s Southern States?
-Fifteenth Amendment gave everyone right to vote but with two requirements: poll tax (flat tax) paid by all, literacy test had to be passed.
-Prevented black people from voting as they were typically poorer and the literacy test was cryptic and used as a filtering mechanism to only allow white people to vote.
What was the NAACP and what were its aims?
-National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People founded in 1909 by William Du Bois.
-Civil rights group aiming for political, educational, social and economic equality of all people. Eliminate racial hatred and discrimination.
What did the NAACP do?
-Used legal means: took cases to court and sued people
-600,000 members by 1946, including some white Americans.
-Use of the legal system limited amount which could be achieved so pace of change was slow.
What was CORE and what were its aims?
-Congress of Racial Equality founded in 1942 by James Farmer.
-Civil rights group aiming to highlight issues of segregation with a particular focus on public transport and achieve equality of races.
What did CORE do?
-Non-violent methods such as peaceful protests and sit-ins in segregated places to highlight issue of segregation,
-Assisted with organising the Freedom Rides. Had limited support in the 1950s.
What was the SCLC and what were its aims?
-Southern Christian Leadership Conference founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King.
-Civil rights group aiming to encourage black Americans to ‘seek justice and reject all injustice.’ Promoted non-violent philosophy regardless of provocation.
What did the SCLC do?
-Encouraged the involvement of white Americans in challenging racism, held peaceful protests.
-Failed to attract widespread support and to influence highest levels of government.
What were the key features of the Brown vs Topeka case (1954)?
-Oliver Brown (Linda Brown’s father) brought claim against state authorities as he wanted his daughter to attend neighbourhood school rather than segregated school some distance away.
-Had evidence that educational achievement was restricted because of ‘separate but equal’, also that black and white schools weren’t equal, defying doctrine of ‘separate but equal’.
-Outcome: school segregation banned on 17 May 1954. Supreme Court overturned PvF and ‘separate but equal’.
Judge believed that segregated schools had detrimental impact on black children and that it denoted their inferiority.
What were the immediate outcomes of Brown vs Topeka (1954)?
Progress: -Overturned case of PvF and ‘sep. but equal’
-Moral victory for black community, first Supreme Court ruling in favour of black Americans.
-Revealed importance of using legal system to bring change
No progress: -Vague judgement of how it would be put into practice: “at the earliest possible speed.”
What were the long-term outcomes of Brown vs Topeka (1954)?
Progress: -300,000 children attended desegregated schools by 1957
No progress: -2.4 millions black children still in seg. schools in 1957, did not change for many.
-Lack of federal support from Eisenhower allowed states to avoid implementing change.
-Led to re-emergence of the KKK and formation of White Citizens Council (200,000 members by 1956)
What were the events at Little Rock High School (1957)?
-3 Sept. 1957 9 black American students tried to enrol at Little Rock High
-Orval Faubus, state governor of Arkansas ordered Arkansas state National Guardsmen to block the black students entering, preventing them from enrolling
-National guard was removed the next day and the students ran the gauntlet of a vicious white crowd (1,000 people)
-President Eisenhower took control of the National Guard and used them and federal troops to protect the black students for the rest of the school year, first example of Federal Intervention
What was significant about the events at Little Rock High School (1957)?
-It involved the president, showing that civil rights could no longer be ignored and shows that states would be overruled by the Federal Government when necessary (showed use of Federal Intervention to make progress).
-Demonstrations shows on TV and newspapers worldwide, US was embarrassed to be seen as an oppressive nation when it criticised comm. countries for opposing basic human rights (use of media and public image of US, international pressure).
-Black activists realised that reliance on federal courts was enough to secure change, civil rights was at the heart of US politics. Led to more protests and civil disobedience.
