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Black Codes
Black codes were local laws that tried to control every aspect of Black life in many Southern states. For example, blacks had to step out of the way for whites, can't use whites only stuff, can't make eye contact with whites. Or blacks weren't aloud to eat or buy stuff from certain places, etc. If they did violate these black codes they were most likely killed or beaten unmercifully. -
Sharecropping/Tenant Farming
Is what white plantation owners did with blacks after the abolishment of slavery. They would divide the land (whites) but still own it and they would provide the stuff needed to the other owners (blacks) of the land to where they would do all the farming and the harvest was given back to the owner who then sold it. After deducting the costs of all the supplies and everything involved he would pay himself then pay the other sharecrop owners. But the owners (whites) were very unfair. -
13th Amendment
Adopted in 1865, 8 months after the civil war ended. The amendment forbade slavery in the United States. Took Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and made it a "fix" on the constitution.
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14th Amendment
Declared that all persons born in the U.S. (except American Indian tribes) were citizens. That all citizens were entitled to equal rights regardless of their race, and their rights were protected by due process of the law. Southern States were required to sign off on it before they were allowed back into the U.S. (after the Civil War).
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15th Amendment
Constitution passed during the era of Reconstruction, granted African American men the right to vote. This still didn't stop "tests" from being put into place to limit voting. Black Codes were a big part in preventing this amendment. They would test blacks to "test" if they could vote and they made it to where they would most likely fail every time. -
Jim Crow Laws
Also called "Separate but Equal". Was put in place to separate African Americans from the whites. It was a form of social and political control. They would have mandated separate facilities for whites and blacks and the black facilities were most likely very poorly taken care of an put together. Lasted from 1896-1965.
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Plessy vs. Ferguson
The U.S. Supreme Court case upheld the "Separate but equal" doctrine. Started when Plessy refused to sit in a Jim Crow car. Plessy believed his constitutional rights were being violated but the Court ruled that the state law "Separate but equal" between whites and blacks does not violate the 13th or 14th Amendments. Therefore none of his rights are being violated so case closed.
-http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson -
Lynching
Lynching is killing someone who was deemed guilty without being proven guilty. An example being Jesse Washington. He was accused for raping a white woman and before he could even be proven guilty he was dragged out of the court room where he was hung over a bonfire and lowered slowly for the next two hours after they had already cut his fingers off. (Sorry for the very disturbing details and graphic picture).
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_of_Jesse_Washington
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19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment provided the right for women to vote just like men. This had been something women had been fighting for for a long time. And in 1920 they finally got what they had been fighting for.
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20th Amendment
States that if the President dies during his term that the Vice President will become President. Also the terms of the President and Vice President will end at noon on January 20th and Senators and Representatives will end at noon on January 3rd. Congress must tell the new President or Vice President the case of the death before appointing the position. -
Federal Housing Administration
Provides mortgage insurance on loans by FHA lenders throughout the U.S. and its territories. FHA insures mortgages on single and multi family homes including homes and hospitals. It is the largest insurer of mortgages in the world. It has insured over 38 million properties since it was created in 1934.
-https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/fhahistory -
Hector P. Garcia
Hector P. Garcia served as a U.S. Army member from 1942-1945. After the war he became very sick with a kidney illness. After he was let out of the hospital he began an investigation for migrant laborers. He found they were ill-clothed, malnourished, and diseased. This led to the creation of the American G.I. Forum. Which was the primary source for Mexican Americans to express they need equality also. The Forum led to many good changes for Mexicans.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_P._Garcia -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Said that racial segregation of schools was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment. Also said that the "Separate but equal" doctrine was inherently unequal. The decision didn't fully desegregate every school but helped a lot in the progression of equal rights.
-https://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html -
Rosa Parks
Apart of the NAACP. When she heard about a 15 year old pregnant black woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus and was arrested she was inspired to do the same. Her arrest on December 1st, 1955 was a big factor in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Worked closely with MLK Jr. during the Boycott.
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Started after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat. It lasted from that same December Rosa Parks got arrested till the next December of the next year. Ended with SCOTUS case Browder vs. Gayle that said segregated buses were unconstitutional which led to no more segregated buses in Montgomery. The Boycott was a major victory for the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr. rose to national prominence.
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Desegregation
Desegregation is getting rid of segregation; Segregation is the separating of races such as whites and blacks. An example of desegregation would be the result of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Anyone could ride the bus and sit wherever they wanted to. Another example would be when President Eisenhower sent U.S. Army members down to Arkansas so black people could go to a school that used to be a whites only school.
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Orval Faubus
Was the governor of Arkansas from 1955-1867. Best known for his stand in the desegregation of Little Rock High School where he ordered Arkansas National Guard to stop African American students from entering the school. Which led to President Eisenhower to send the U.S. Army to escort the African American students to and from school for the rest of the school year.
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Civil Rights Act of 1957
Was the 1st rights legislation since Reconstruction. It protected voting rights and prevented interference in voting. Established Federal Civil Rights Commission - they investigate discrimination.
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Sit-Ins
A sit-in is a peaceful protest where people take up space and refuse to leave until their demands are met. Most well known was in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1st, 1960 when 4 students sat at a "whites only" counter (which at the time was illegal) and were refused service. The protest in a matter of days went from 4 to 300 people. It spread till the restaurant lost $200,000 in revenue to where it finally served some blacks at the "whites only" counter.
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Affirmative Action
Was a system put in place to help minorities, women, and other who face discrimination opportunities for jobs and promotions. It includes training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive things. Were very helpful to many under privileged children and women. -
Civil Disobedience
An example of civil disobedience was Freedom Rides. Which were blacks, and white civil rights activists who decided to test if Southern cities had complied with the Supreme Court's decision of desegregated bus terminals. So they took bus trips through the South in interstate bus terminals. This led to being violently attacked by KKK members and Southern police. Many Freedom Riders were lynched and murdered. White members were treated just as bad for "betraying their race".
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George Wallace
George Wallace ran for President 4 times. Also became governor for Alabama on January 14th, 1963. Known for being backed by the KKK for his racial views during the election for governor. Known for his quote during his inaugural speech when he said, "I say segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever." Also known for preventing two black students from enrolling at the University of Alabama.
-https://www.biography.com/people/george-wallace-9522367 -
Martin Luther King Jr.
Leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Was a preacher who's foundation was built of nonviolent and peaceful protesting. Was arrested a lot for protesting. Was the youngest man to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wrote and preached very many meaningful and powerful speeches. One being "I Have a Dream" which he delivered on August 8th, 1963 during the March on Washington where he quoted the Declaration of Independence, "All men are created equal". Assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray.
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Lester Maddox
Was the governor of Georgia though he had not held a public office before. When he was a restaurant owner he violated the newly signed federal Civil Rights Act by refusing to serve some African Americans in 1964. Was a segregationist but did oversee many improvements to Black employment rights as governor.
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24th Amendment
Prevents Congress & the States from requiring a "poll tax" before you can vote. A poll tax is money that you must pay to register to vote. You would be unable to vote of you had not registered and paid first. Mississippi, Alabama, and Virginia had accumulative poll tax. Which means if you didn't vote previous years and didn't pay the previous year(s) you must pay all those off before you can pay and vote this year. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Was introduced by John F. Kennedy. It abolished racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers. Also Ended unfair voting requirements.
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Cesar Chavez
Was a prominent union leader and labor organizer. Founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. Major turning point in September, 1965 when the farmers of the association voted to strike in Delano's grape fields. Within months they became nationally known. He created the NFWA because of the wretched migrant camps, racism, corrupt labor contractors, and meager wages for such hard/taxing work.
-http://www.history.com/topics/cesar-chavez -
Head Start
A program created in 1965 that provided preschool education for the children of poor families. Created by Sargent Shriver who took experts to develop a child development program that would help communities meet the needs of the disadvantaged preschool children. Happened right after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was created to break the cycle of poverty and all that came with it.
-https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/about/history-of-head-start -
Nonviolent Protest
A nonviolent protest is pretty self-explanatory. It is a protest that doesn't include violence. An example would be Selma to Montgomery Marches which was nonviolent protest which efforts were to get blacks to vote. It was a 54-mile walk from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. But took multiple attempts because all the state and local authorities that were killing and resisting them, and it took multiple days because of how long the walk was. First march called "Bloody Sunday".
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Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prohibited racial discrimination when voting: like poll taxes, literacy tests, etc. Strengthened enforcement of the 15th Amendment. Allowed for federal oversight where registration or turnout was under 50 percent in 1964.
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Upward Bound
Provides support for students trying to go to college. Provides opportunities for kids to do well in high school so they may move on and do well in college. Upward Bound serves low income families and high school students whose parents don't have bachelor's degrees. Their goal is increase the rate of students to complete secondary education and enroll and graduate from colleges and institutions.
-https://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html -
Betty Friedan
She wrote a book and broke ground with the idea of women finding personal fulfillment. She also helped advance the women's rights movement especially with the founding of the NOW, or the National Organization for Women. She advocated an increased role for women in politics and pioneer of feminism and the women's rights movement.
-http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/betty-friedan -
Thurgood Marshall
On October 2, 1967 Marshall was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. He was the 1st African American to be elected as a Supreme Court Justice. He was also Chief legal counsel for NAACP. He was a lawyer and also established a record for supporting the voiceless American. Was grandson of a slave.
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26th Amendment
Prohibits the Federal government & the States from denying the ability to vote based on age. You must be at least 18 to vote. It was lowered from 21. -
Title IX
Known for its impact on women athletics at the high school and collegiate level. Birch Bayh said women are seen as these pretty girls that just go to college to find a man. He said they are more than that and was huge for the women's movement. In creating Title IX he hoped to get women more scholarship and athletic scholarship opportunities. And was successful because there was a 600% increase in women playing sports.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX
