Black Social and Economic Progress Chapter 9 Key Terms Black Social and Economic Progress Pages 324-325 philanthropists Booker T. Washington W.E.B. Dubois Niagara Movement vaudeville yellow journalism poll tax segregation grandfather clause Jim Crow Laws lynching Plessy v. Ferguson NAACP Booker T. Washington WEB DuBois List characteristics and information to describe his approach.

Quiz over Chapter 9 & T Chart 1. laws that exempted men from voting restrictions   2. system of legal discrimination 3. a fee that must be paid before voting 4. the murder of an accused person by a mob without a lawful trial 5. decision legalizing segregation 6. a kind of inexpensive variety show that became popular in the 1870s.  Using your T Chart identify the person described in each: A. Booker T Washington B. WEB DuBois 7. leader of the NAACP 8. founded Tuskegee Institute 9. encouraged gaining vocational skills 10. First African American to get a Ph.D. from Harvard Quiz over Chapter 9 & T Chart

Founded the Tuskegee Institute List characteristics and information to describe their approach. Booker T. Washington WEB DuBois Founded the Tuskegee Institute Instructed his students to focus on political equality through economic security by gaining vocational skills Felt Blacks could achieve acceptance by succeeding economically 1st African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard Encouraged African American’s to be leaders Encouraged African Americans to seek advanced liberal arts education rather than vocational. Founded the Niagra Movement Became a leader of the NAACP

Booker T. And W.E.B. by Dudley Randall “It seems to me,” said Booker T., “That all you folks have missed the boat Who shout about the right to vote, And spend vain days and sleepless nights In uproar over civil rights. Just keep your mouth shut, do not grouse But work, and save, and buy a house.”   “I don’t agree,” said W.E.B., “For what can property avail If dignity and justice fail? Unless you help to make the laws, They’ll steal your house with trumped-up clause. A rope’s as tight, a fire as hot, No matter how much cash you’ve got. Speak soft, and try your little plan. But as for me, I’ll be a man.” “It seems to me,” said Booker T. – “I don’t agree,” said W.E.B. Booker T. And W.E.B. by Dudley Randall “It seems to me,” said Booker T., “It shows a mighty lot of cheek To study chemistry and Greek When Mister Charlie needs a hand To hoe the cotton on his land. And when Miss Ann looks for a cook, Why stick your nose into a book?”   “I don’t agree,” said W.E.B. “If I should have the drive to seek Knowledge of chemistry or Greek, I’ll do it. Charles and Miss can look Another place for hand and cook. Some men rejoice in skill of hand, And some in cultivating land, But there are others who maintain The right to cultivate the brain.”

 

Plessy v. Ferguson

Background of the case: In 1890 Louisiana passed a law ordering railroads in the state “to provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races.” Railway personnel were responsible for assigning seats according to race.

June 7, 1892 Homer Plessy, a native of Louisiana, who could “pass” for white agreed to the test case so he sat in in the white section and was arrested He was tried and found guilty of violating the law He appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court and then to the US Supreme Court.

Constitutional Issue: 13th Amendment - The segregated society that the south had created contained the essential features of the slave society before it. 14th Amendment The segregated society denied him “equal protection of the law” What is it? What is it?

The Decision: 8 out of the 9 judges denied his appeal. Justice Henry Brown wrote the Majority opinion stating that their decision was based on: Does not violate the 13th amendment because “a legal distinction between white and colored races… has no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races”

Does not violate the 14th Amendment because the amendment “was not intended to give Negroes social equality but only political and civil equality” and the court cannot enforce social equality. Simply stated – court can’t make us all be friends

In his famous dissenting opinion, John Marshall Harlan attacked the constitutionality of the Louisiana law and argued that while the law may appear to treat blacks and whites equally, "every one knows that the statute in question had its origin in the purpose, not so much to exclude white persons from railroad cars occupied by blacks, as to exclude colored people from coaches occupied by or assigned to white persons.“ Harlan saw the Constitution as “color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.”

Separate but equal Plessy v. Ferguson will be the law of the land for over 50 years.

African Americans and Women During the Gilded Age

African American Men: In the South, by 1908 there were no more black state representatives By 1900, there was only one Southern black Congressmen in Washington By 1885- there was noticeable public discrimination in theaters, restaurants, hotels, etc. in the South. Disenfranchisement of blacks begins (literacy tests, poll taxes) 1883- legal segregation begins in the South begins lynchings average around 190 each year some men became lawyers, doctors, professors and wealthy business owners educated and wealthy blacks could go to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, as well as many other universities

Women: “Women’s God-given role, if to be stated, is as wife and mother, keeper of the household, guardian of the moral purity of all who lived therein.” 95% of married women stayed home in 1880-1890 had little outside contact of the home; often had a servant who went to market and did all outside chores rose around 4:30 and did chores (cooking, cleaning, keeping fire, sewing, wash, etc.) until 8:00 women were measured by how happy their husband was, how moral their children were and how clean, neat and organized your home was. Wear a corset: this exerted 22 pounds of pressure on internal organs, which often caused collapsed lungs and displaced livers. Could go to a few male colleges but were segregated and told that they “could not maintain the academic rigor of the male population.” All-female colleges began that offered varied courses but upon graduation women found it difficult to get a job as anything else besides secretary, nurse, or teacher.

1890 Writing Assignment We have studied Plessy v. Ferguson, and glimpsed at the condition of both African Americans and women during the Gilded Age. In a three-paragraph response tell me, if given the choice, would you have rather been an African American man or a white woman in the year 1890. You must choose one. Use your Plessy v. Ferguson notes, notes on men & women during the Gilded Age, Chapter nine of your textbook and the notes from the overhead to support your answer. While you must include historical proof, you may also include some of your own sociological observations on race and gender. Your answer needs to be clear and convincing. You must follow the format I have provided for you. Nowhere in this paper will you use “I.” I know that what you write is what you think. Do not write “I think” or use the first person pronouns. Write in factual terms: “It would have been easier to have been a white woman rather than a black man in 1890 because….”

Paragraph One: Tell me, in general terms, what life was like for both females and African Americans during the Gilded Age. Your paragraph will end with your thesis statement. The thesis statement will indicate your position on whom it would have been better to be in 1890: a black man or a white woman. Make sure your paragraph flows and follows proper grammar.   Paragraph Two: In this paragraph, make your argument of why it would have been better to be either a black man or a white woman. You must provide a minimum of three examples of proof that support your decision. The type of proof you choose will determine how convincing your argument is. For example, do not tell me that it would have been better to be a black man because you could get lynched. Paragraph Three: This is your conclusion paragraph. Summarize the information you have presented in both the first and second paragraphs. You must also restate your thesis statement and remind the reader of why you choose the position you did.