UNITED STATES UNITED STATES HISTORY HISTORY AND THE AND THE

CONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTIONSouth Carolina South Carolina

Standard USHC-3.5Standard USHC-3.5

Jim Crow lawsJim Crow laws

Determined to claim the full rights of Determined to claim the full rights of citizenship in a democracy, African citizenship in a democracy, African Americans responded to the Americans responded to the restrictions placed upon them by the restrictions placed upon them by the Jim Crow laws and their loss of the Jim Crow laws and their loss of the vote through poll taxes and literacy vote through poll taxes and literacy tests. tests.

African American leadersAfrican American leaders

African American leaders emerged African American leaders emerged who were united in their who were united in their determination to attain full determination to attain full citizenship but were divided as to the citizenship but were divided as to the best strategy to pursue. best strategy to pursue.

The strategies each advocated The strategies each advocated depended in large measure on depended in large measure on personal background and the personal background and the audience that each addressed.audience that each addressed.

Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington was born a was born a slave in the South and raised himself slave in the South and raised himself to a leadership position through his to a leadership position through his determination to receive an determination to receive an education and hard work. education and hard work.

He founded the Tuskegee Institute in He founded the Tuskegee Institute in order to provide vocational training order to provide vocational training to African Americans who knew only to African Americans who knew only how to farm. how to farm.

George Washington CarverGeorge Washington Carver

George Washington Carver worked at worked at Tuskegee developing new crops to aid the Tuskegee developing new crops to aid the poverty stricken cotton farmers of the poverty stricken cotton farmers of the region. region.

Vocational EducationVocational Education

Booker T. Washington’s experience Booker T. Washington’s experience in the increasingly segregated South in the increasingly segregated South led him to advocate vocational led him to advocate vocational education and opportunities for education and opportunities for employment as more important to employment as more important to the well-being of African Americans the well-being of African Americans than social and political equality. than social and political equality.

Atlanta Compromise”Atlanta Compromise”

Although Washington’s ultimate goal was Although Washington’s ultimate goal was full equality, African Americans who were full equality, African Americans who were too assertive in advocating for their too assertive in advocating for their political and social rights might fall victim political and social rights might fall victim to a lynching.to a lynching.

As Southern businessmen opened textile As Southern businessmen opened textile mills throughout the region, Booker T. mills throughout the region, Booker T. Washington pleaded with them to hire the Washington pleaded with them to hire the hard-working former slaves in his so-called hard-working former slaves in his so-called “Atlanta Compromise” speech “Atlanta Compromise” speech

Second Class CitizenshipSecond Class Citizenship

Although Booker T. Washington Although Booker T. Washington lobbied behind the scenes for greater lobbied behind the scenes for greater social and political rights, his public social and political rights, his public statements suggested that he was statements suggested that he was willing to accept the second class willing to accept the second class citizenship offered by Jim Crow laws, citizenship offered by Jim Crow laws, literacy tests and poll taxes in literacy tests and poll taxes in exchange for jobs that would exchange for jobs that would alleviate the poverty of African alleviate the poverty of African American sharecroppers. American sharecroppers.

““Accommodation”Accommodation”

Although Washington’s strategy was Although Washington’s strategy was acceptable to the white majority of acceptable to the white majority of the South, jobs were not the South, jobs were not forthcoming. forthcoming.

Southern African Americans revered Southern African Americans revered Washington but northern African Washington but northern African Americans criticized his gradualism Americans criticized his gradualism and “accommodation”.and “accommodation”.

W.E.B. DuBoisW.E.B. DuBois

W.E.B. DuBois was born free in the North, W.E.B. DuBois was born free in the North, attended prestigious schools on attended prestigious schools on scholarship and earned a PhD from scholarship and earned a PhD from Harvard University. Harvard University.

DuBois opposed Washington’s emphasis DuBois opposed Washington’s emphasis on vocational education and argued that on vocational education and argued that all African Americans should have the all African Americans should have the opportunity for any education that fit their opportunity for any education that fit their talents. talents.

NAACPNAACP

DuBois promoted the development of a DuBois promoted the development of a “Talented Tenth” of well-educated African “Talented Tenth” of well-educated African American leaders. American leaders.

DuBois voiced both his opposition to DuBois voiced both his opposition to Washington’s strategy and his own Washington’s strategy and his own advocacy for full social and political rights advocacy for full social and political rights for all African Americans through the for all African Americans through the National Association for the Advancement National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which he had of Colored People (NAACP), which he had helped to found, and its publication helped to found, and its publication The The CrisisCrisis, which he edited. , which he edited.

RhetoricRhetoric

DuBois’s militant rhetoric energized DuBois’s militant rhetoric energized his readers, the growing African his readers, the growing African American middle class, but was less American middle class, but was less acceptable to the white community. acceptable to the white community.

Public Facilities, Equal?Public Facilities, Equal?

Schools, neighborhoods and public Schools, neighborhoods and public facilities continued to be segregated facilities continued to be segregated in the North by practice (de facto) in the North by practice (de facto) and in the South by law (de jure). and in the South by law (de jure).

African Americans were most often African Americans were most often the last hired and the first fired. the last hired and the first fired.

Brown v Board of EducationBrown v Board of Education

It would be many years before the It would be many years before the NAACP would be successful in NAACP would be successful in protecting the rights of African protecting the rights of African Americans in the courts [Americans in the courts [Brown v Brown v Board of EducationBoard of Education, 1954] and , 1954] and launch the modern civil rights launch the modern civil rights movementmovement

Ida Wells-BarnettIda Wells-Barnett

Ida Wells-Barnett was born a slave in Ida Wells-Barnett was born a slave in Mississippi shortly before emancipation. Mississippi shortly before emancipation.

She grew up on a plantation where her She grew up on a plantation where her parents continued to work for their former parents continued to work for their former master. master.

Ida Wells-BarnettIda Wells-Barnett

Educated in a Reconstruction-era Educated in a Reconstruction-era freedom school, Wells-Barnett took a freedom school, Wells-Barnett took a job as a teacher and later as a job as a teacher and later as a newspaper writer. newspaper writer.

Jim Crow LawsJim Crow Laws

Ida Wells-Barnett experienced Jim Ida Wells-Barnett experienced Jim Crow first hand when she was Crow first hand when she was forcibly removed from a railroad car forcibly removed from a railroad car and forced to sit in a colored-only and forced to sit in a colored-only car.car.

She sued the railroad company but She sued the railroad company but her initial victory was overturned on her initial victory was overturned on appeal. appeal.

Critical EditorialCritical Editorial

She wrote an editorial critical of the She wrote an editorial critical of the segregated schools in Memphis that segregated schools in Memphis that cost Wells-Barnett her job as a cost Wells-Barnett her job as a teacher. teacher.

Wells-Barnett also experienced Wells-Barnett also experienced violent intimidation when a friend violent intimidation when a friend was lynched in Memphis. was lynched in Memphis.

Run Out of MemphisRun Out of Memphis

This experience launched her This experience launched her investigation of lynching as a investigation of lynching as a newspaper editor.newspaper editor.

She devoted the rest of her life to an She devoted the rest of her life to an anti-lynching crusade. anti-lynching crusade.

Her outspoken criticisms of lynching Her outspoken criticisms of lynching met with a violent reaction from met with a violent reaction from whites and she was forced to leave whites and she was forced to leave Memphis. Memphis.

Founding MemberFounding Member

Ida Wells-Barnett strenuously Ida Wells-Barnett strenuously objected to Booker T. Washington’s objected to Booker T. Washington’s strategy which she labeled as strategy which she labeled as accommodation. accommodation.

She was a founding member of the She was a founding member of the NAACP, but left that group when it NAACP, but left that group when it was not militant enough. was not militant enough.

Jane AddamsJane Addams

She worked with Jane Addams to She worked with Jane Addams to prevent the Chicago public schools prevent the Chicago public schools from being segregated and from being segregated and supported the cause of women’s supported the cause of women’s suffrage. suffrage.

Although Wells-Barnett’s campaign Although Wells-Barnett’s campaign against lynching was not successful against lynching was not successful in her lifetime, it raised awareness of in her lifetime, it raised awareness of the conditions of African Americans the conditions of African Americans