Ending the Progressive Era Conditions for African Americans Conditions had not seen as much improvement as expected 35yrs after the abolition of slavery In 1900 Life expectance was 33yrs 9 of 10 still lived in the South and 3 of 4 were sharecroppers ID: 621337
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Slide1
African Americans and Women’s Suffrage
Ending the Progressive EraSlide2
Conditions for African Americans
Conditions had not seen as much improvement as expected 35yrs after the abolition of slavery
In 1900- Life expectance was 33yrs.
9 of 10 still lived in the South and 3 of 4 were sharecroppers
44.5% were illiterate- southern states spent a startlingly less on black education than white
Strict system of social segregation- Jim Crow
Set of rules designed to separate the races during social events or activities
Water fountains, train cars, textbooks, movie theaters, baseball games, etc. Slide3
Lynching
Lynching- murder by a mob without trial, usually by hanging
1882-1968- 4742 were lynched in the south
- accused victims of murder or rape but actually offenses were usually minor- boastful comments, or failing to step aside on the sidewalk
Often victims were
burned, whipped,
tortured, dismembered and their body parts distributed as souvenirs
Sanctioned by society- public event that most participated in and approved ofSlide4
Federal Inaction
13
th
Amendment
- “Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude…”-
1865-abolished the institution of slavery
Loophole
- ‘except as a punishment for crimes’-
states began leasing out convicts to private companies with little to no supervision-
abuse and death for most
14
th
Amendment
- “All person’s born or naturalized…”
1868- secured the citizenship of ex-slaves
Loophole- courts decided that this was not intended to shield citizens from the effects of state laws, only national
15
th
Amendment-
“The right of the citizens of the US to vote shall not be denied…” 1870-
States cannot deny the right to vote based on race or color
Loophole- States instituted poll taxes and literacy tests to prevent
ex-slaves from
voting
Not effectively enforced until the Civil Rights Act of 1965Slide5
African American Response
Booker T. Washington-
Head of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama
After the death of Frederick Douglass in 1895, stepped up as the spokesman for the Af. American community
Accepted the reality of segregation- did not push for political equality
Instead wanted Af. Americans to focus on economic advancement
Opponent- W.E.B Dubois- first Af. American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard
Believed that political and cultural advancement were of equal or greater importanceSlide6
Struggle for Suffrage
72 years of struggle by women and their male supporters to gain the vote
1848- first women’s right’s convention in Seneca Falls, New York.
Based their petition for the vote on natural rights
Issued the Declaration of Sentiments
After the Civil War- the movement splits
National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA)- Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Supported broader reform, and
believed women’s suffrage should come before African American rights
American Women’s Suffrage Association (AWSA)- Lucy Stone-
Unwilling to compromise with Democrats and
believed African American rights should come first
The two would merge to form the NAWSA in 1890Slide7
Progress
Several state governments enfranchise women
Wyoming- 1869
Utah- 1873
Colorado- 1893
Idaho- 1896
By 1916- 11 Western states had given women the vote
Varying tactics
Not always honorable- many claimed that giving the vote to women would guarantee that white votes outnumbered immigrants and African Americans
Carrie Chapman Catt- 1915 president of NAWSA- “The Winning Plan”- coordinated efforts on state and federal fronts
Alice Paul- National Women’s Party- much more radical- protests, marches, hunger strikes in jail
Organized the largest parade in NYC history in 1915- 40,000 womenSlide8
Opponents of Suffrage
Fear that women would vote for social reform
Ban on alcohol
End of child labor
Fear of effect it would have on the home
That the atmosphere of the home would be destroyed as women vacated their natural duties in favor of public opportunities
Gender bias
Belief that women were too unstable and emotional
Taft- "On
the whole," he wrote, "it is fair to say that the immediate enfranchisement of women will increase the proportion of the hysterical element of the electorate."Slide9
Success
US entry into World War I, it was decided that women should receive the vote as a war measure
First passed through the House in 1918
, then the Senate in 1919, but was
not ratified by the states until 1920.Slide10
Closure
Think back on the changes that have taken place during the Progressive Era- Answer the following questions on
a sheet of paper
Which do you think was the most important? Why?
How are the issues of the Progressive Era still affecting us today? Slide11
Works Cited
Mintz
, S., & McNeil, S. (2016). The Progressive Era.
Digital History
. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=11&smtID=2