WJEC A-level History Student Guide Unit 3: The American century c.1890-1990
Selection of key turning points in the US civil rights movement . Ideal for essay plans and memorisation before exams, includes examples from throughout the period. Used these and got full UMS marks in my exams
Supreme court activism: 1954 Brown vs Board of education, 1944 Smith vs Allwright (black people
could stand in elections)
High profile protest: 1955 Montgomery bus boycott .
WW2, big growth 1946 600,000 members
Rise of individuals, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida. B Wells, Thurgood Marshall
Rise of black conciseness
The Great Migration
Mass movement from rural south to urban north, Midwest
Prior-1910 500,000 left
During WW1 500,000 left
1916 – 1960 6 million left
Despite this, number of AA in south was large, continued to grow 1920 – 8,912,000 1960 –
11,312,000
Turning point:
More jobs available in north, paid higher wages, wars more job availability
Vulnerability for workers due to southern cotton prices
Primarily economic motives + ‘American dream’
1910 – 89% AA lived in south, 1970 – 53% did
Detroit saw 300% population increase
Established black communities, attracted black immigrants, Harlem
Racial hostility, 1919 Chicago riots, 15 white people + 25 black people killed
Ghettos, overcrowding, high rates TB, crime
KKK membership rose 1921 – 100,0000, 1924 – 4 million
, WW1
2 million AA registered military draft, 367,000 served in armed forces
Segregated units, prevalent racism in military
Harlem Hellfighters, segregated AA combat unit, one of most highly decorated units
Fighting in France, no segregation, awareness of discrimination
Homefront, white resentment at black coemption for jobs and housing, 1919 Chicago riots
Black consciousness raised, able to see contrast in treatment to white counterparts
Social
New Deal
Roosevelt, 1933 following Great Depression
Unemployment rates AA had been twice those of WA, aa lower middle class disproportionally
affected
Turning point:
Economic
Most successful change, Public Works Administration, schools and hospitals benefits from
investment
1/3 federally funded housing in 1930 went to AA families
Works Progress Administration provided employment 1 million AA
1935, 30% receiving relief
Allowed opportunity for increased economic situation
Limited:
- Unemployment remained high, by 1941 25% of African American were registered as
unemployed in large cities
- Agricultural Adjustment Act prevented overproduction in agriculture therefore reducing
farmers and jobs, 200,000 African American share croppers were evicted in 1930
- The National Recover Administration permitted unequal pay between races
- The Civilian Conservation Corps organised segregated work camps
- The Tennessee Valley Authority Segregated accommodation for African Americans, whilst
all-white model towns
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