Civil Rights 1877-1903

1. Civil Rights 1877-1903 By, Will Dedman, Mike Abbot and Will Jellis

2. What are civil rights? • Civil Rights are those rights which citizens in a democracy are entitled to expect. • Such as the right to vote, the right to a high standard of education, the right to work, the right to receive the protection of the law etc… • They are the rights you yourself would expect to receive in your every day life.

3. Section 1 1877-1889

4. After the end of reconstruction in 1877… • Civil rights which had been granted to blacks were vulnerable to a growing racist tide of opinion that was at its most intense in the south, but also had an impact of the growing number of African Americans now living in the north.

5. By 1877 the reality was… • Few blacks owned land – many had access to land through share cropping (where contracts were unfairly favoured to the whites) • Employment was limited (whites did not want to work with blacks) • Education for blacks was inferior • Founding racist groups e.g. KKK focussed on restoring slave based plantation economy and carried out appauling violent activities • Racial tension and abuse was unleashed by the political moves

6. However… • African Americans had learned to stand up for themselves, and having tasted the benefits of freedom, wanted more. • They had re-established family units • There had been the growth of Blacks solidarity especially through the church. Many black ministers became politically active. • In the north there was a greater possibility of franchise and their combined votes were capable of determining the outcome of elections at local levels.

7. In 1877 the period of reconstruction ended. The southern state legislators were dominated by democrats who were allowed to pursue policies of segregation and discrimination unimpeded by federal intervention.

8. Jim Crow Laws 1887-1891 • Institutional segregation in schools, trains, hospitals etc. • This is where the expression “separate but equal” came from. However, realistically they were not equal.

9. Lynchings • 1890’s – 1875 cases of lynchings against blacks. • This was effectively aggressive mob action e.g. stoning or public hangings. • This would often be a spectacle for the entire white community to “enjoy”, including children. • Due to the lawless execution of these lynchings, blacks felt fearful to speak out against them.

10. Booker T Washington • In 1881 he established his own institute in Alabama for literacy, numeracy and practical skills. • Became a main spokesman for blacks and had great vision, ability and leadership. • Set very strict standards of behaviour with the theory that, if you show respect, you will gain respect. If you use violence, you lose sympathy.

11. W.E.B Du Bois • He campaigned against the Jim Crow laws and lynching. • He demanded full civil rights. • First ever coloured individual to gain a PHD from Harvard in 1895, which was a huge achievement and was therefore a great role model for blacks throughout the country.

12. Section 2 1890-1902

13. Developments in the period 1891-1902 • This period saw the expansion of segregation laws • More individuals emerged that supported black civil rights • Black civil rights seemed to be getting worse before they got better • The emergence of black businesses saw increased tension occurring between races

14. Major Figures of the time-Ida B. Wells • After 1891 segregation laws were formally extended to include public places of all kinds. • In one case a black woman named Ida B. Wells, refused to give her seat up to a white man on a train. She was subsequently removed from the train, resulting in her suing the train company. • Ida B. Wells is a prime example of courage at a time of oppression. This is highlighted in her open opposition to lynching as well as being a staunch advocate for the rights of women and their right to vote. • She moved to New York where under the help of a T. Thomas Fortune she helped spread her view. • Due to a southern defence that any anti-lynching laws would interfere with states rights however, she failed to gain support from Congress or the President.

15. Booker T Washington • 1895 • Saw the occurrence of the Atlanta compromise. This was a significant aspect of Washington’s policy; he put forward the idea that if whites could regard blacks as potential economic partners rather than dangerous political opponents the race issue would be defused. However Washington believed in accepting segregation and prioritising it beneath the development of education and economic development. • The Atlanta compromise forced the blacks into a position of accommodation. This being a forced acceptance of an unpopular policy. This drove Washington’s critics claiming he had no interest in abolishing black segregation. • Dubois criticised Washington, claiming his policy and views were perhaps even dangerous for the development of the black race. • Although Dubois agreed that what Washington was suggesting was much need for the black community, he argued that his policy was to lightweight, it didn’t aim at developing the system or making any significant or bold changes. Also his lack of attention to black segregation brought him much unpopularity. • In his earlier years he could afford to ignore his critics, but as time moved on and his policy appeared to be making no significant change to black civil rights, they began to damage his reputation. • Although he was, by the end of his time, more popular with whites than blacks he had contributed to the black community. He had helped tie in political contacts of the white community with the black community. He had developed from slave to college principal, taking blacks a step further into civil development. • However for all his power he failed to reach his potential. Making no real advances in black civil rights, and the failure of his policy he attracted many critics. He had lost the support of many of his black supporters.

16. Where did Blacks stand in society at this time? • Although steps were being taken to improve civil rights for blacks, the vast majority of the white population still reserved a prejudice against them. • 1890 Understanding clause introduced to the Mississippi constitution to restrict the voting capacity of the black African population. The clause stated that a voter must be able to read and understand the constitution in order to vote. This would have stopped many poorly educated (by no fault of their own) African-Americans from voting. • Not only this but those Black Africans who did have the ability to vote and set up businesses of their own found it very difficult to do so • The majority of blacks in the 1890’s lived in the south almost 90%. Those who did venture to immigrate to towns and cities to try their chances at profiting from the developing and growing American economy. However many white employers were reluctant to employ black workers becoming obsessed with the idea that there was a growing tension between whites and blacks, also blacks working in a close proximity to white women was also frowned upon. • However glimmers’ of hope were emerging for the black worker. For example a man called Dubois believed in not just attempting to educate the black American, but to raise his self-esteem. "The idea should not be simply to make men carpenters, but to make carpenters men," His policy to lift the self belief of the African American was unique, and new. • Jacob Riis writes ‘how the other half lives’. His book was aimed at highlighting the social imbalance of American society, in that 99% of the American population was possessed by the remaining 1%. He used photos to illustrate the poor living conditions of immigrants in New York city. His book was a prime example that there was support for the Black African population.

17. Section 3 1903-1915

18. Major Events of the PeriodImproving • 1903- President Theodore Roosevelt risked physical harm by saying in a speech; “I fought beside coloured troops at Santiago, and I hold that if a man is good enough to be put up and shot at then he is good enough for me to do what I can to get him a square deal.” • 1905- The Niagara movement. • 1909- Forming of the NAACP. • 1909- Meeting at the national conference of the negro. • 1911- Development of the National Urban League.

19. Major Events of the PeriodDecreasing • 1906- A black man was put on display along with an orang-utan and labelled ‘the missing link’. • 1908- The Springfield riot. • 1913- President Wilson was elected. • 1913- Wilson decided to increase levels of segregation in certain sectors of the government. • 1915- Death of Booker T Washington.

20. Prolific leaders of the period • Theodore Roosevelt (President 1901-1909) • William H Taft (President 1909-1913) • Woodrow Wilson (President 1913-1921) • Booker T Washington • William Du Bois • William Trotter • Ida B Wells • T. Thomas Fortune

21. Summary of the period • Between 1903 and 1915, civil rights for coloured individuals saw no or little improvement. The standard of education increased, however, not at a comparable rate to the improvements in education for whites. The north south divide continued, with many coloured individuals migrating to the north where civil rights had become more established. The introduction of the Democrat Wilson in to the presidency, who had predominantly racist opinions undoubtedly saw a decrease in civil rights/ an increase in segregation. I think it is fair to say that in the early 1900’s segregation was at its height and civil rights for coloured people had only increased slightly since the end of the reconstruction.

22. 1877 1889 1890 1902 1890 1890 1891 1895 1896 1897 1898 1901 Understanding clause Segregation laws extended Grandfather clause introduced Pres. McKinley Sherman Anti-trust act Atlanta Compromise Supreme Court rules separate but equal Negro Academy founded 1903 1915 1903 1905 1906 1908 1909 1913 1913 1915 Orang-utan The NAACP President Wilson elected Roosevelts’ Speech The Niagara movement Springfield Riot Increased segregation Washington dies