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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why did America’s attitude toward immigration begin to change after the First World War?
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• fear of revolution in aftermath of Russian Revolution
• fear that Communism might spread to the USA • worry about increasing numbers from Southern and Eastern Europe • concern that immigrants would take jobs • concern that immigrants would work for lower wages • concern that immigrants would break strikes • worry that immigrants would create pressure on scarce housing • feeling that new immigrants often inferior, e.g., illiterate • feeling that USA could no longer take unrestricted numbers of immigrants • feeling that new immigrants involved in organised crime • influence of WASPs. |
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Why was there tension between the old and new immigrants?
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• older immigrants worried that they would lose jobs/homes to the new immigrants
• old immigrants felt too many new immigrants were coming in • religious differences – older immigrants were mainly Protestant while new immigrants were mainly Catholic or Jewish • old immigrants had lived in USA for several generations and many thought they were better than new immigrants • old immigrants tended to be from northern Europe and new immigrants were often Eastern European/Hispanic/Asian • language difficulties |
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How severe were the problems facing European immigrants to the USA in the 1920s?
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• often arrived with little wealth or possessions
• faced discrimination on the grounds of culture/race/religion • faced discrimination in most areas of life and work simply because they were immigrants • did the poorest jobs with lowest pay • poor housing often in unsanitary slums • faced abuse from local politicians/lacked rights and representation • became stereotyped by public and media as a threat e.g., blamed for crime, and as a burden e.g., worsened housing shortages • blamed for political extremism e.g., Red Scare. |
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Why did many Blacks move from the South to the North of the USA by the 1930s? (Push)
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• Jim Crow Laws introduced into southern states – two separate societies created
• great deal of segregation in the South – trains, buses, churches, hospitals, schools, drinking fountains • southern states made it difficult for Blacks to vote • terror of Ku Klux Klan – lynchings, beatings, etc • many lost farming jobs in the south • many problems for sharecroppers – low wages, problems with destroyed crops – so a move north seemed sensible |
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Why did many Blacks move from the South to the North of the USA by the 1930s? (Pull)
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• many Blacks believed the north was a land of opportunity where they could find the American Dream
• factory jobs in the north were very attractive • experience in the armed forces raised hopes/expectations |
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What problems faced Black Americans after they moved north in the 1920s and 1930s?
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• skin colour identified them as “different” and marked them out for discrimination
• Whites felt they were superior to black migrants • seen as uneducated and unskilled and so were able to get only poorly paid jobs • White unskilled workers saw them as a threat to their jobs • there was competition for jobs with immigrants to USA • there were riots between Blacks and Whites in north • they were separated into ghetto communities in northern cities • housing conditions were very poor. |
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Why was the Ku Klux Klan feared in the 1920s and 1930s?
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• Racist: Klan campaigned against immigrant groups such as Jews, Catholics and Black Americans
• Anonymous: Klan was a secret terrorist organisation – members wore robes and masks • Intimidating: Klan burned large crosses on hillsides to frighten people • they kidnapped, whipped, mutilated people if they did not do what the Klan wanted • Violent: Klan lynched many Black Americans • Powerful: important members of the community such as police, judges and politicians were members of Klan • ability to hold marches in cities such as Washington implied a powerful organisation. |
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How much difficulty did the Jim Crow Laws cause Black Americans?
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• Supreme Court decision in 1896 Plessy case enshrined the “separate but equal” idea in law and made Jim Crow laws acceptable
• enforced segregation between Blacks and Whites – created a segregated society • Examples: separate transport facilities (trains and buses), drinking fountains, hospital wards, schools, churches, toilets and restrooms, restaurants, entrances (even to go to work), Black barbers could only cut the hair of Blacks • Blacks discriminated against in the workplace • Blacks were discriminated against in quality of housing • some states made marriages between Whites and Blacks illegal • led to Black Americans feeling humiliated/feeling like second citizens/feeling inferior • led to anger and demands for change • prevented Blacks from voting. |
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Describe and show the importance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955
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• Rosa Parks refused to move seats on the bus
• Rosa Parks was arrested and fined • Black population refused to use city buses • people walked to work or organised car pools • bus company faced bankruptcy • established Martin Luther King as a civil rights leader (President of Montgomery Improvement Association) • gained much publicity for Civil Rights movement • after a year courts decided segregation on buses was unconstitutional. • Showed non-violence could work and became model for later protests |
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Importance of Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957
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• President had to intervene (Federal)
• 1000 soldiers sent to Little Rock to protect children • federal troops stayed for 1 year • event attracted worldwide attention to the Civil Rights Movement • embarrassed the American Government • some states wanted to keep schools segregated • whites tried to stop blacks from entering the school • Elizabeth Eckford tried to get into the school; but was met with hatred • a great deal of reaction to the events took place – showed attitudes in the southern states • showed the clash between state and federal authority • proved it would be difficult to achieve full civil rights in the USA |
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Importance of Birmingham, 1963
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• Birmingham was the most racist city in the USA
• civil rights protestors would risk their lives by entering Birmingham • a successful demonstration in Birmingham could spark off changes across the South • over nine hundred children were arrested on the first day • police used massive violence against protestors – use of clubs, dogs, fire hoses • the march gained huge media coverage and shocked American society • President Kennedy announced a new civil rights law within weeks • Connor, the police chief, was a racist |
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Importance of March on Washington, 1963
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• large numbers involved: 30 trains, 2000 buses
• march in the capital of the USA • about 20 per cent were Whites showing support • march was peaceful and orderly. • millions watched march on TV across USA • march covered by TV crews from across the world • Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream” speech. |
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Why did King plan a protest in Selma, Alabama, 1965?
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• King wanted to win support for a new voting rights act by putting pressure on President Johnson to support new Civil Rights legislation
• Black Americans were being prevented from registering to vote in Selma • very few Black Americans had succeeded in registering to vote in Selma • local Civil Rights campaigners had already begun organising protests in Selma • protests in Selma had been met with extreme violence from police since Sheriff Clark of Selma was a crude racist • King thought he could stir up feeling through TV coverage against Clark in the same way as he had against Bull Connor |
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Why did the demand for civil rights continue to grow after 1945?
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• impact of the Second World War e.g., USA fighting against a violent racist regime
• abroad while violent racism flourished in the southern states • experience of black soldiers from the south who witnessed integration abroad • actions of early campaigners e.g., Phillip Randolph, Core (1942) • the existence of Jim Crow laws in the southern states • effects of segregation – e.g., schools, transport, restaurants • concern at other inequalities faced by Black Americans e.g., low wages, poor housing • refusal of State governments to desegregate following Brown v Topeka judgement • continuance of lynching • North/South divide become more obvious after 1945. |
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Why did a civil rights movement grow in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s?
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• existence of Jim Crow laws in southern states
• existence of segregation – examples such as schools, waiting rooms • concern at inequalities of black Americans e.g., extreme poverty, poor housing • refusal of southern states to desegregate e.g., Brown v Topeka • success of the bus boycott in Montgomery • leadership of Martin Luther King e.g., “I have a dream” speech • the belief that a non-violent campaign would succeed • reaction of groups like the Ku Klux Klan • growing support from Whites e.g., students and groups like CORE. |
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What progress was made towards civil rights between 1945 and 1959?
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• NAACP had success with Supreme Court decisions
• the Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional (Brown vs. Board of Education, 1954) • black pressure forced Eisenhower to propose a Civil Rights Act (1957) • mass action such as Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) was successful • Civil Rights Movement was gaining heroes such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King • protest at Little Rock (1957) saw black students admitted to a white school • details of Brown v Topeka Board of Education decision • rise of new civil rights’ groups such as SCLC. |
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How successful was the Civil Rights Movement in overcoming the inequalities facing many Black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s?
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• Supreme Court decision that “Separate but Equal” must stop (Brown versus Board of Education, Topeka, 1954)
• Rosa Parks ended segregation on the buses • sit-ins ended segregation in restaurants • freedom rides ended segregation on transport • Civil Rights Act 1964 – banned racial segregation in public areas • banned racial discrimination in education and employment • Voting Rights Act 1965 – banned literacy tests or other obstacles to Black Americans registering to vote • Civil Rights Act 1968 – to provide protection for civil rights workers in the South |
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What problems remained for Black Americans after the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?
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• Act did not protect civil rights workers in the South
• did not solve discrimination in housing • Act was poorly enforced • Act was ignored by some states • Act did not end racism and discrimination • some Blacks who tried to use the freedoms the Act was supposed to guarantee were attacked by the Ku Klux Klan • Blacks still suffered because of poor jobs, bad schools, low wages • many Blacks still did not have voting rights |
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Why did some Black people riot in many American cities in the 1960s?
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• poverty – 40% of black Americans still lived in poverty
• nothing had been done about slum housing with overcrowding, segregation and high rents • blacks were in low paid jobs or had no jobs • they had poor quality schools and facilities • blacks had poor health and little access to health care • ghettos were places of crime, gangs and drugs • feeling that Civil Rights Act had not solved problems in northern cities • assassination of Martin Luther King • riots broke out during summer heatwaves • disillusionment with the draft/Vietnam War • influence of Radical leaders (Black Power movement) encouraged action • heavy-handed policing/brutality caused anger among blacks. • Severe racism in many northern cities (as King discovered in Chicago) |
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Why did the Black Panthers gain support from many Black Americans?
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• Black Panthers argued it was time to defend Black Americans from white aggression
• Many Blacks distrusted the police and had no faith in them • Black Panthers organised self-help programmes • Black Panthers had a ten point programme demanding freedom and release of black prisoners. • Black Panthers condoned use of violence • Black Panthers had programmes to give free breakfasts to children and free health clinics • Black Panthers attracted support from sportsmen e.g., Olympic salute. |
