SS8H7 Evaluate key political, social, & economic changes that occurred in GA between 1877 & 1918

1. SS8H7 Evaluate key political, social, & economic changes that occurred in GA between 1877 & 1918 A. Evaluate the impact of political, social, & economic changes on GA B. Analyze how rights were denied to African-Americans C. Explain the roles of African-American political, social, & economic leaders

2. Politics & Economics of the New South • Bourbon Triumvirate (p. 312-314) • Henry Grady (p. 317-319) • International Cotton Exposition (p. 361) • Tom Watson & the Populists (p. 346-348) • Rebecca Latimer Felton (p. 314-316) • 1906 Atlanta Riot (p. 358-359) • Leo Frank Case (p. 359-360) • County Unit System (p. 349-350) • New South (p. 317)

3. Political & Social Changes in the New South • Jim Crow Laws (p. 351-352) • Plessy v. Ferguson (p. 352) • Disenfranchisement (glossary & p. 357-358) • Racial Violence (p. 358-360) • Booker T. Washington (p. 353-354) • W.E.B. DuBois (p. 355) • John & Lugenia Burns Hope (p. 356-357) • Alonzo Herndon (p. 367)

4. New South • 1877-1918 • Time period after Reconstruction where political, social, & economic leaders in the Southern states sought to diversify the South’s economy & bring in Northern technology & investment • Coined by Henry Grady The New South

5. Bourbon Triumvirate • Joseph E. Brown, Alfred H. Colquitt, & John B. Gordon • Dominated Georgia politics for over 20 years (1870s-1890s) • Had been key figures during the Civil War • Rotated positions as Georgia governor & U.S. Senator • Held a common interest in developing the railroad &mining industries, serving the interest of the old antebellum planter class, & instituting low taxes which resulted in few government services • Were white supremacists who supported & took advantage of the convict lease system • Their power began to wane as the ideals of the Populist Party & the New Democrats began to dominate the Democratic Party in 1890 & because of their deaths &/or retirement

6. Henry Grady • 1850-1889 • Continually promoted the New South • Managing editor of the Atlanta Journal • Promoted the industrialization of the South & the diversification of Southern agriculture • Lobbied Northern investors to help aid financially • Instrumental in bringing the International Cotton Expositions to Atlanta & in the creation of Georgia Tech • Assisted in the elections of liked minded politicians, such as John B. Gordon & Joseph E. Brown • Criticized for his industrial focus, bias in favor of Atlanta, & inaccurate portrayal of racial relations in Georgia

7. International Cotton Expositions • 1881, 1885, & 1895 in Atlanta • Established to promote Atlanta’s rebuilding from the Civil War & its industrial capabilities & accomplishments, & to lure Northern investment into the city & region • Heavily promoted by Henry Grady • Displayed Atlanta’s rise from the ashes & established it as the leading city of the New South • At the 1895 exposition, Booker T. Washington gave his famous Atlanta Compromise Speech

8. Tom Watson & the Populists • 1856-1922 • Early law & political career was based on supporting the poor tenant farmer & sharecropper of both races • Supported the end to the convict lease system & was a proponent of public education for all Georgians • Gained national notoriety for his leadership role in the passage of the Rural Free Delivery Act • In 1890, he adopted some of the policies of the Farmers Alliance, a precursor to the Populist Party • Selected by The Populist or People’s Party as their vice-presidential candidate in 1896, & presidential candidate in 1904 & 1908 • Around 1904, began to change his progressive views toward race &, by the end of his life he was a fervent white supremacist, targeting African-Americans, Catholics, & Jews

9. Rebecca Latimer Felton • 1835-1930 • Writer, political activist, reformer, & the first female senator in the U.S. • Married to William Felton who served in the U.S. Congress & the Georgia General Assembly • Member of the Independent Democrats • Battled with the members of the Bourbon Triumvirate, especially John B. Gordon, over their often self-serving policies • Supported many progressive causes, including abolishing the convict lease system, prohibition, & women’s suffrage • Wrote a column for the Atlanta Journal, which endeared her to rural Georgians for over 20 years • In 1922, Georgia governor Thomas Hardwick appointed her as a temporary U.S. Senator in honor of her work & achievements

10. 1906 Atlanta Riot • September 22-24, 1906 • Immediate cause was local newspaper articles alleging African-American male attacks on white women • A group of mostly unemployed white men & boys gathered downtown seeking revenge for the supposed attacks & began attacking any black that they saw • Travelling into the black business district, the mob killed two barbers & beat several men to death on street cars • Georgia militia was called in to the city & African-Americans began to arm themselves & in some cases fought off their attackers • Sporadic fighting occurred throughout the next day • Resulted in the death of at least 25 African-Americans, deeper segregation in the city, & more of an economic divide between the African-American social elite & lower class

11. Leo Frank Case • Leo Frank, a Jewish man from New York & manager of the National Pencil Company, was accused of murdering 13 year old Mary Phagan, an employee of the pencil factory • His court case & tragic lynching made national headlines • This case displays deeper issues held by white Georgians • Many poor Georgians were resentful of big business, especially those that represented Northern interest & were ran by Northern transplants like Frank • There was also an underlying hatred of immigrants, Jews, & Catholics in the Deep South, which erupted in the Frank case & was fueled by Tom Watson’s propaganda • Soon after, members of the Knights of Mary Phagan formed the second incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan

12. County Unit System • Instituted in 1917 (lasted for almost 50 years) • Gave more power to rural, less populated counties than to urban ones • Counties were divided into 3 categories & given a specific number of unit votes • Urban counties were given 6 votes, town counties were given 4 votes, & rural counties were given 2 votes • 8 urban counties with 48 votes, 30 town counties with 120 votes, & 121 rural counties with 242 votes • When rural counties voted as a block, they had much more power than the more populous urban centers • Used to limit the voting power of African-Americans

13. Jim Crow Laws • Named after a fictional black ministerial character • Took away most of the citizenship rights of African-Americans • Most blacks could not vote or serve on juries & were denied many of the other rights of U.S. citizens • Almost every aspect of life was segregated, including separate schools, sections of public transportation, water fountains, bathrooms, graveyards, & even Bibles used to swear on in courts • Intermarriage between the races was strictly forbidden • Inhibited the educational, economic, &social growth & opportunities for most Southerners, both black & white

14. Plessy v. Ferguson • On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy, who was 1/8th black & could pass as white, but identified himself as a black man, was arrested in Louisiana for sitting in the whites only section of a railcar • This was a planned protest to test Louisiana’s segregation laws • The case went all the way to the Supreme Court who ruled in favor of Louisiana, based on the “separate but equal” doctrine • Under the Constitution (14th & 15th Amendments) blacks had political rights, but social rights were not required • As long as facilities were equal for both races, they could be separate • Most southern states, including Georgia, separated all aspects of life, including separate theaters & movie houses, rail & street cars, & bathrooms • Though separate, these facilities were most certainly not equal

15. Disenfranchisement • Most blacks in the South lost their voting rights • Southern states, including Georgia, established many laws that disenfranchised blacks & poor whites (prevented them from voting) • Poll Taxes (1877) – Most poor blacks & many poor whites could not pay this tax & were unable to vote • White Primary (1900) – African-Americans were not allowed to vote in the all-important primary elections • Literacy Tests (1908) – Many poor blacks & whites could not read or write & could not pass these tests to vote • Grandfather Clause (1890-1910) – Allowed some poor whites to vote while continuing to deny the right to blacks; if their father was able to vote before the Civil War or their grandfather had fought in the war, then they could vote

16. Racial Violence • Was rampant during the New South era • 1906 Atlanta Race Riot was one of the largest demonstrations of this violence • Over 400 lynchings happened in Georgia from 1880-1930 • Often orchestrated by members of the KKK, who consisted of teachers, policemen, ministers, & other community leaders • In the case of Leo Frank, men in the upper class of Marietta society were responsible for his lynching, including a judge, & according to some, a former governor • Some of the most famous Georgians during the time period supported racial violence & lynching, including Tom Watson & Rebecca Latimer Felton

17. Booker T. Washington • 1856-1915 • Former slave, educator, author, orator, & political activist • Helped build several technical schools for African-Americans, including the Tuskegee Institution in Alabama, with financial support from northern business leaders & politicians • Promoted the idea that the best approach for African-Americans to gain a foothold in white society was through hard work, education, &economic accomplishments, before gaining full civil rights • Well known for his Atlanta Compromise Speech, which he presented at the International Cotton Exposition of 1895 • This speech brought his ideas of cooperation &the going slow approach to the forefront of the early civil rights movement

18. W.E.B. DuBois • 1868-1963 • Educator, author, & early Civil Rights leader • Supported many of Washington’s beliefs early in his career • After the actions of the Southern states to prevent African-American from exercising their civil rights, DuBois was determined to fight for the immediate social & political rights of African-Americans • Developed the concept of the talented tenth, or an elite group of college educated African-Americans who would use their talents & position to help eradicate segregation in American society • His organization, the NAACP, and his ideals for immediate social & political rights for all African-Americans, led to the successes of the Modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s

19. John & Lugenia Burns Hope • John(1868-1936) • Educator, early civil rights leader, & social reformer • First black president of both Morehouse & Atlanta University • Actively involved in the NAACP, the southern-based Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Urban League, & the YMCA • Lugenia Burns (1871-1947) • Community organizer, reformer, & social activist • Established the Neighborhood Union, which fought for better conditions in African-American schools &developed health education campaigns • Worked with the YWCA & the Colored Advisory Commission, which helped flood victims in the South • First vice-president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP

20. Alonzo Herndon • 1858-1927 • Former slave & barber who owned several successful black & white barbershops in Atlanta • Invested the money he earned from his barbershops in real estate & owned over 100 rental homes & a large commercial block of real estate in Atlanta • Founded the Atlanta Mutual Life Insurance Company, which offered insurance coverage to African-Americans & hired college educated African-Americans to work there • Today, Atlanta Life Financial Group is worth over 100 million dollars & is constantly ranked as one of the top black owned financial companies