Help with civil rights in the us homework?

Question

My essay question is "To what extent were white supremacist groups, the main factor hindering civil rights 1865-1940?"

I have to think of two other reasons, I've got the weakness of African Americans to actually try and change things but I need another. What about the supreme court decisions (slaughterhouse case), Will they do or are there other reasons?

Please help!

Answer 1

Poll taxes, Literacy tests, Harassment, etc. I would back off the weakness theme though.

Answer 2

Fear (not weakness) on the part of African-Americans. Remember, they were afraid of being lynched, losing jobs, losing homes (mortgages & loans) because the Whites were in power.

White supremacists were in positions of power at the time. There were governors, lawyers, judges, police officers, firemen, teachers, etc. They refused to allow African Americans a voice or a vote on their own future at the time.

Plessy vs. Ferguson was one of the biggest factors that hindered civil rights. That Supreme Court decision of Separate but Equal haunted African Americans until the 50's when it was overturned with Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.

Answer 3

Groups like the KKK were instrumental in squelching civil rights legislation. The KKK had much influence in Washington and law makers were afraid that too much freedom for the Negro would upset the balance of power. They were considered second class citizens and as long as they didn't "rock the boat", they were tolerated. In the U.S. we have "states rights". A state could legislate anti-civil rights laws and the federal government had to accept it. The federal civil rights law finally made the U.S. government the sole authority. Even when all black regiments and air groups were fighting in Europe and in the Pacific, they were not given any gratitude for their contributions to the war effort. Until very recently, have they been recognised. These are some of the many factors. I hope you can expand on these through web searching. LOL

Answer 4

I watched a documentary about the real story behind missippi burning. Alot of white racists in the south had high positions within the community. The judges dealing with black murders were mostly white and racist. The jury were the same. Some of the highest ranking ku klux klan members were police men and well respected people. In 1964 three civil rights activists were killed by members of the kkk and an ordained baptist minister was recently found guilty of manslaughter 40 years after the event occured. You should really watch Missippi burning it's a good film based on that. Extremist groups had alot of say in what happened within their home towns because of the well respected people who were it's members.

Answer 5

Brown v board of education? was in the american south to do with how they managed to segrgate blacl/white education whilst seeming not to (covered it in american politics a few years back)

Answer 6

jim crow laws... look it up.

Answer 7

mhm yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.