AA Civil Rights

• How many African American slaves were there in the USA at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861?


  4 million
• What did the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution state?


  Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States.
• What happened to slaves after the surrender of the Confederate states in April 1865?


  They became free as the entire South came within the Union's jurisdiction.
• What was the main issue left unresolved after the Civil War regarding African Americans?

  The position and rights of African Americans in the USA.
• What was one suggestion for the future of former slaves that President Lincoln ruled out?

  That all former slaves should leave the USA.
• What formidable problems did the idea of ensuring African Americans had the same rights as whites face in the South?

  The resentment of a defeated white population accustomed to viewing African Americans as property.
• What characterized the immediate post-war period for African Americans?

  Uncertainty about their role and status in post-war America.
• What was the name given to the Southern states that broke away from the Union in 1861?

  The Confederate states
• Who was the president during the Civil War that opposed the expansion of slavery?

  Abraham Lincoln
• What was the practical solution for former slaves after the Civil War?

  Sharecropping
• What limitations did former slaves still face despite being allowed personal liberty?


  They faced considerable limitations to their liberty and had no means of making a living.
• What significant event happened to President Lincoln shortly after the Civil War?

  He was assassinated.
• What increased markedly in the aftermath of the Civil War regarding African Americans?


  The amount of violence and segregation.
• What was the uncertainty faced by the US government after the Civil War?

  What to do about the problem of millions of freed slaves and the Southern 'rebels.'
• What was the role of Congress during the period of Congressional Reconstruction?


  To take the lead in passing measures to promote civil rights.
• Who became president after Lincoln's assassination?

  Andrew Johnson
• What did the Radical Republicans advocate for during Reconstruction?

  Change and civil rights for African Americans.
• What was the Freedmen's Bureau established for?

  To help the emancipated slaves.
• What amendments were pushed through by the Joint Congressional Committee of Fifteen?

  The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
• What was the outcome of the compromise of 1877?

  The end of Congressional Reconstruction and withdrawal of federal troops from the South.
• What did the Jim Crow laws enforce?

  Legalized segregation against African Americans.
• What were some areas affected by segregation in the early 20th century?


  Transport, sports, hospitals, orphanages, prisons, and education.
• What measures did Southern states use to restrict African American voting?

  Literacy tests and grandfather clauses.
• What was the average rate of brutal killings of African Americans by the 1890s?

  One African American was brutally killed every two days.
• What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?


  Separation did not imply inferior treatment, establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine.
• What did the Supreme Court rule in United States v. Harris in 1883?

  The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was unconstitutional, stating private discrimination did not fall under federal jurisdiction.
• What was the impact of the Supreme Court's decisions on civil rights?

  They encouraged the development of discrimination against African Americans.
• What were the key events and changes in civil rights from 1865 to 1992?

  • 1865: Thirteenth Amendment abolishes slavery.
  • 1866-67: Congressional Reconstruction and the passing of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
  • 1877: End of Congressional Reconstruction and withdrawal of federal troops.
  • 1964: Civil Rights Act forbids racial discrimination in public accommodations.
  • 1965: Civil Rights Act codifies the right to vote regardless of race.
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Reconstruction period for African Americans?

  Strengths:

  • Legal abolition of slavery.
  • Political participation and representation in assemblies.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Rise of Jim Crow laws and segregation.
  • Violence and intimidation against African Americans.
  • Lack of federal support after 1877.
• What were the roles of the federal government, state governments, and the Supreme Court in civil rights development?


  • Federal Government: Initially promoted civil rights through legislation and military support.
  • State Governments: Enforced discriminatory laws and restricted rights.
  • Supreme Court: Often ruled against civil rights, legitimizing discrimination.
• What was the ruling of the Supreme Court in 1875 regarding private discrimination?

  It held that private discrimination did not fall under federal jurisdiction.
• What was the significance of the Williams v. Mississippi case in 1898?

  The court declared that discriminatory voter registration laws preventing African Americans from voting were not unconstitutional.
• How did the intention of the court in Williams v. Mississippi affect African Americans?

  It was obvious that the intention of the court was to disenfranchise African Americans.
• What was the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896?


  Separation did not imply any inferior treatment of people of different races or colors.
• What concept was enshrined in the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson?

  The idea of "separate but equal" was enshrined in a legal ruling.
• How did the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson affect public and private facilities?

  In practice, facilities were anything but equal, with African American schools and homes being of lower quality.
• What law did Louisiana pass in 1890 related to segregation?


  Louisiana passed a Jim Crow law segregating railway transport.
• Who was Homer Plessy and what did he do in 1892?

  Homer Plessy was an African American who challenged the Jim Crow law by traveling in a whites-only railway carriage.
• What was the outcome of Plessy's appeal to the US Supreme Court?

  The Supreme Court ruled seven to one that Louisiana was not going against the constitution by segregation.
• What significant ruling occurred in 1944 regarding black voters?

  Smith v. Allwright ruled that it was unconstitutional for black voters to be excluded from party primary voting.