Supreme courts activism

• What amendments did the Supreme Court fail to uphold after the Civil War?

  The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
• What was one of the failures of the Supreme Court regarding civil rights abuses?


  It failed to intervene in civil rights abuses from individuals
• How did the Supreme Court contribute to the disenfranchisement of African Americans?


  It failed to prevent the disenfranchisement of African Americans
• What did the Supreme Court rule about the 1875 Civil Rights Act?


  It ruled the 1875 Civil Rights Act to be unconstitutional
• What principle did the Supreme Court legitimize through Plessy v Ferguson and Cummings v Board of Education?


  The principle of 'separate but equal'
• Which legal cases were pursued by the NAACP that influenced the Supreme Court's attitude?


  Gaines v Canada (1938) and Smith v Allwright (1944)
• What was created within the Justice Department to support civil rights cases?

  A Civil Rights section that could provide evidence directly to the Supreme Court
• What were the issues faced by African American pupils in education?


  • Segregated schools requiring travel to distant locations
  • Critically underfunded African American schools
  • Limited access to higher education and professional jobs
  • Perpetuation of stereotypes of 'black ignorance'
  • Entrenchment of ideas of superiority and inferiority
• What was the significance of Brown v Board in 1954?


  It fundamentally overturned the 'separate but equal' concept
• Who was Oliver Brown and what was his role in the Brown v Board case?


  He was a parent who supported the case against segregation for his daughter Linda
• What did the Supreme Court ruling on Brown v Board state about segregation?


  Segregation was psychologically harmful and generated feelings of inferiority
• What factors contributed to the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v Board?

  Leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren, NAACP advocacy, and Cold War pressures
• What was the impact of the Brown v Board decision?


  • Removed the legal basis for segregation in schools
  • Suggested that segregation in all areas could be ruled unconstitutional
  • Called for desegregation to be implemented 'with all deliberate speed'
• What was the success rate of desegregation in southern states by the end of 1957?


  723 school districts had been desegregated in border southern states
• What was the situation regarding desegregation in the Deep South by 1957?


  Fewer than 12% of the 6,300 school districts had been integrated
• What was the membership of the White Citizens’ Councils by 1956?


  250,000 members
• How did the Ku Klux Klan respond during the desegregation period?


  It expanded considerably and engaged in violent protests
• What was one method some southern areas used to evade the Brown ruling?


  They closed all state schools
• What was the Southern Manifesto and its significance?


  It was a document signed by southern politicians opposing desegregation
• Who was one of the few southern senators to refuse to sign the Southern Manifesto?


  Lyndon B. Johnson
• What was President Eisenhower's initial stance on enforcing the Brown ruling?


  He believed it was the responsibility of state governments, not federal government
• What event forced President Eisenhower to intervene in Little Rock, Arkansas?


  Mob violence and intimidation against African American children attempting to desegregate schools
• What action did Eisenhower take in Little Rock to ensure desegregation?


  He ordered 1,100 army paratroopers into Little Rock
• What was the outcome of Governor Faubus's actions in Little Rock?


  He closed all schools rather than allow desegregation
• When did the Federal Court rule that the closure of schools in Little Rock was unconstitutional?


  June 1959
• What was the progress of African American voter registration by 1957?


  It was increasing but still faced significant barriers in the Deep South
• What conclusion did many African Americans draw from the events in Little Rock?


  Only direct non-violent action would secure the end of segregation and discrimination
• What were the limitations of Supreme Court rulings on civil rights?


  • Supreme Court rulings alone could not bring about major change
  • Required wider action by Congress for implementation
  • Highlighted the need for direct action by civil rights activists