Mrs. Ruland's US History Class Project

"I am in earnest
I will not equivocate
I will not excuse
I will not retreat a single inch
and I will be heard!"
William Lloyd Garrison

"We want full manhood suffrage and we want it now.... We are men!"
W.E.B. Du Bois

Background:

The Civil Rights Movement is often credited with starting in the 1950's and 1960's. But the fact is, many people commonly forget to acknowledge that the actual Civil Rights movement was preceded by a long line of historical events and occurrences. Throughout history, there have been people, groups, and other efforts to create a peaceful co-existence of the African American and Caucasian American. Some historians, though, have acknowledged that there was a long and influential past to the Civil Rights Movement. The purpose of this web page is to note and link to these historically helpful and accurate sites. As the quotes above this paragraph portray, there has been struggle for Civil Rights for ages before the actual Movement. These struggles have taken place man vs. man, community vs. community, and most significantly, race vs. race. African Americans have formed groups for support of there existence many times during their history in the U.S. Many of these groups have been confounded with the help of Caucasians. In the first subsection, there are references to the many historical groups that have existed. Each of these groups represents the African American Pre-Civil Rights Movement and the African American struggle. Along with these groups, there have always been the people that have worked to support the African American cause. In the 2nd subsection, some of the most influential African American activists are referenced. Besides people and groups, there have been events, occurrences, published efforts and efforts in general for African American advancement. The Pre-Civil Rights Movement is very important and influential to the history of African Americans. The efforts for African American Civil Rights are like the other reform movements in American history because this was an effort to make right what was wrong in the United States.

Groups----

Abolitionists: The Abolitionist movement and its influence are dicussed on this reliable page. The Abolitionists were a group of people that fought for the emancipation of all Amfrican American slaves, along with the end of segregation and discrimination. This group of people saw it as a sin to discriminate and take advantage of the African American minority. The work of this group was critical towards to end of slavery in many states, and the eventual Civil War to end slavery in every state. This group was especially important in fighting for African American rights. This site dicusses these things, along with other significant information of the Abolitionist movement. Within this site there are also references to how many other early Civil Rights movements which were influenced by the Abolitionist movement.

The American Anti-Slavery Society: Along with the Abolitionist reform movement, the American Anti-Slavery Society strived to end slavery and existing tensions between African Americans and Caucasians. Within this webpage, which includes a brief documentation of this Society's history and sentiments, includes very useful information and descriptions. It is particularly helpful that this site lists each of the America Anti-Slavery Society's opinions, which were declared in 1833. All of the material within this website is very quotable and valuable when discussing. The American Anti-Slavery Society worked hand in hand with the Abolitionists during the Pre-Civil War era of slavery. Among the many racial equality goals this group desired to achieve, the end of slavery remained key. This site is a useful resource of information dealing with Early Civil Rights. The Anti-Slavery Society is one of the many crucial corner stones of the future rights movements.

National Urban League: The National Urban League, a historical group of people that worked for African American rights, is discussed on this page. This site is the homepage of the National Urban League, which was created in the early 20th Century. On this page, there is also a discussion of how this League of people was crucial to the early Civil Rights movements. The main goal of this organization was to reduce urban discrimination, along with stop other discriminatory practices. The history of this organization is discussed on this site, but within the site there is also recent and historical material that is useful when discussing early Civil Rights movements.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: The NAACP was formed by Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, William English Walling led the fight to renew the struggle for civil and political liberty. The NAACP uses non violent methods through legal battles. This link is to the NAACP homepage, which includes further links with various information. The NAACP historical part of this website is particularly helpful. There are also other links that include important documents, goals, and information on the NAACP.

People----

Ida B. Wells: Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) was an editor and journalist of newspapers during her lifetime. After a few of her friends were lynched, Ms. Wells lead a controversial campaign against lynching. Her anti-lynching crusade got her involved in early Civil Rights movements. She worked closely with both African-American community leaders and suffragists during her career which included many movements for rights. Ms. Wells was often involved in gender and race issues. Her work in writing is often considered important to the eventual Civil Rights movement. This site briefly outlines the significant elements of Ms. Wells life.

W.E.B DuBois:W.E.B. Du Bois was the founder of the Niagara movement in 1905. The Niagara movement was later named the NAACP in 1909. W.E.B. Du Bois was elected as one of the eight people to lead the organization. He was the only African American out of the eight. The NAACP was founded to stop the lynching of black people in the U.S. W.E.B. Du Bois wanted equality for blacks right away. He thought that blacks should be equal with whites. On this site, some of Mr. Du Bois most prominient ideas are dicussed.

Marcus Garvey: In 1914 Marcus Garvey organized the Universal Negro Improvement Association and its coordinating body, the African Communities League. In 1920 the organization held its first convention in New York . Before a crowd of 25,000, Garvey outlined his plan to build an African nation-state. His ideas attracted popular support, and thousands enrolled in the UNIA. Years after the organizations first convention, the UNIA began to decline in popularity. After he was financially betrayed by trusted allies and after several legal entanglements he was sent to jail. In 1927 he was deported to Jamaica where he campaigned on a platform of self-government, minimum wage laws, and land and judicial reform. This site discussed Marcus Garvey's life and controversy in some detail.

William Lloyd Garrison: In his news paper, from 1831 until 1865 William Lloyd Garrison spoke out eloquently and passionately against slavery and for the rights of America 's black inhabitants. At the age of 25 Garrison became associated with the American Colonization Society, an organization that believed free blacks should emigrate to a territory on the west coast of Africa . Through public speaking, writings in the Liberator and other publications, Garrison advocated the immediate emancipation of all slaves. When Abraham Lincoln passed the emancipation proclamation, Garrison whole heatedly agreed with it. Garrison, a Caucasion, is credited with leading the Abolitionist. This source discusses Garrison's character, and it relates Garrison's importance to the eventual Civil Rights movement.

Booker T. Washington: He was born in 1856 as a slave. He founded the Tuskegee Institute, a college for black people. The Tuskegee Institute taught young black people that to gain equality they should first better themselves. He knew that African Americans were not going to get equality by just fighting for it. They were going to have to show the white community that they deserved it. Booker T. Washington knew what it took to be successful and that is what he taught his students. This site briefly discusses Mr. Washinton, his character, life, and importance.

Events/Occurances/Movements----

Dred Scott decision: Dred Scott was an African American slave. His Master had lived with him in the slave state of Missouri , the free state of Illinois and the free territory of Wisconsin . Dred Scott traveled west with his master when the army ordered him to go to St. Louis , Missouri in 1830. Two years later, his master died. With the help of many Abolitionist lawyers, Dred Scott sued for his freedom, claiming he should be free since he was on free territory for so long. In March of 1957, Scott lost the case in the Supreme Court case with seven out of the nine judges ruling against him. The Court claimed that since Scott had once been a slave, he could not be a US citizen, and therefore had no legal rights. This decision was a crucial stepping stone in history that established African American rights. Though this case eventually failed, the dissenting supreme court judges set up the importance of similar cases and decisions. As for the eventual Civil Rights movement, this site discusses the Dred Scott topic and decision as so it can be related to future decisions. -

Plessy v. Ferguson: "Seperate but Equal" - In 1890, Louisiana passed a law saying that white and blacks should have separate railway compartments. The penalty for sitting in the wrong compartment was either twenty-five dollars or up to twenty days in jail. Homer Plessy, a 30-year shoemaker, was jailed for sitting in the white portion of a Louisiana railway car. Plessy wasn't even fully black, but the Louisiana state law still counted him as black. Plessy went and argued that forcing blacks and whites to sit in separate cars violated the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments. Plessy went to the Supreme Court, but the Court upheld the decision of one of the previous judges, Ferguson . Plessy was guilty, and the law requiring blacks and whites to sit in separate cars was constitutional as long as the facilities provided were "separate but equal."

Niagra Movement: On July 11 thru 14, 1905 on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls , twenty-nine men met and shaped an assembly they called the Niagara Movement. The Niagara Movement relinquished Booker T. Washington's adjustment policies set forth in his well-known "Atlanta Compromise" speech ten years prior. They pursued their activities, allocating pamphlets, petitioning against Jim Crow, and distributing circulars and dissent letters to President Theodore Roosevelt. This movement will be a forerunner of the NAACP. On this site, there is a helpful and brief discussion of the ideas, goals, and plans of this movement.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: The Kansas-Nebraska Act was enacted into law on May 30, 1954 . It allowed people in the newly formed territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery (popular sovereignty). It made many Northern Abolitionists angry, because they thought that the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which stated that there would be no slavery 36 degrees North. The Kansas-Nebraska Act pleased many Southern supporters of slavery. Pro-slavery forces and anti-slavery forces rushed in to influence to upcoming election. Two opposing legislatures were established, and violence soon erupted. The territory earned the nickname "Bleeding Kansas" as a result from all the violence. The discussion of the occurances and their after effect can be related to future Civil Right movements.

The New Deal: Several Programs discriminated against African Americans. NRA, for example, not only offered whites the first oppurtunity at jobs but authorized separate and lower pay scales for blacks. The FHA refused to guarantee mortgages for blacks who tried to buy homesin white neighborhoods, and the CCC maintained segregated camps. The SSA excluded those job categories blacks traditionally filled.With the AAA, white landlords could make more money by leaving land untilled than by putting land into production However, the WPA's decisions were not based on color, and blacks in northern cities benefited from its work relief programs.This website is multiple pages long, each including some informative writing about the New Deal. All of these relations within the New Deal are related to the eventual Civil Rights movement to solve created racial problems.

Published----

"Herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here in the dawning of the Twentieth Century. This meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader; for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line."

W.E.B. DuBois

"Well, I've got just as much conscience as any man in business can afford to keep - - just a little, you know, to swear by as 't were..." Chapter 1

Mrs. Ruland's U.S. History Class Project

Early Efforts for African American Civil Rights

Background:

Groups----

People----

Events/Occurances/Movements----

Published----