White Rage Flashcards

Questions and Answers

From the perspective of the Confederacy, what was the war about?

The war was about slavery; more specifically, it was about maintaining the present way of life including the social structure and economy.

What was the situation that black people were in after the Civil War?

Discrimination was still rampant, they were not immediately given the right to vote, and many, including Lincoln himself, opposed equality.

How did Johnson 'lay the groundwork for mass murder'?

He pardoned many Confederate leaders, allowing them to regain control and implement severe anti-black violence without response.

How did the Black Codes and the prison system create a new form of slavery?

Black Codes forced blacks into labor contracts, while the prison system targeted them with hard-labor punishments. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about Johnson's opposition to leasing land to freedmen?

He gave land to poor white men but opposed leasing land to blacks, highlighting his blatant racism. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about Johnson's statement that black people are lazy and don't want to work?

He gave land to whites who refused to work while claiming blacks were lazy, despite them being the ones who worked the land. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about the claim that the Black Codes prevented blacks from being a burden to the state?

The Black Codes made blacks dependent on the state, preventing them from becoming self-sufficient. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about Johnson's view that African Americans needed to earn their citizenship?

He ignored the centuries of labor that contributed to the wealth of the nation, claiming they needed to earn citizenship. Signup and view all the answers

What were Johnson's objections to the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

He called it unconstitutional, claimed it created black dependence, and asserted that it ignored 'our own race.' Signup and view all the answers

Why could market forces of supply and demand not enable black people to improve their conditions without help from the federal government?

Blacks could not take their labor to the best employer or utilize their skills beyond prescribed jobs. Signup and view all the answers

How were black people prevented from voting?

Through attempts to keep states from ratifying the 14th Amendment and through poll taxes. Signup and view all the answers

What rights did the Supreme Court undermine?

The right to vote, the right to life, and the right to dignity and equality. Signup and view all the answers

Who did the Supreme Court identify as being the ultimate defender of rights?

States; this was problematic as it allowed for segregation and discrimination without federal intervention. Signup and view all the answers

Why did black people want to leave the South?

They faced unsafe labor conditions, frequent violence, and lack of access to education. Signup and view all the answers

How did the sharecropping system work?

It required workers to buy goods from the landowner and often left them in debt. Signup and view all the answers

How did white people react to a black person 'getting ahead' or trying to leave?

They created enticement laws, silenced supportive media, and physically prevented blacks from leaving. Signup and view all the answers

What problems did black people encounter above the Mason-Dixon line?

Discrimination, scarce housing, and lack of police assistance. Signup and view all the answers

In what sense were black people seen as not having a right to their rights?

They were expected to be quiet and accept limitations on their rights and opportunities. Signup and view all the answers

What was the explicit goal of Senator Eastland and others?

To maintain white supremacy by whatever means necessary. Signup and view all the answers

What was the problem with 'separate but equal' schools?

'Separate but equal' schools were underfunded and lacked resources, making them inherently unequal. Signup and view all the answers

How did states respond to the Supreme Court's Brown decision to desegregate schools?

They tried to keep black students in separate classes and implemented various tactics to prevent desegregation. Signup and view all the answers

How did states prevent black people from voting?

Through poll taxes, literacy tests, understanding clauses, and racially motivated violence. Signup and view all the answers

Why are schools that serve predominantly white students better funded than schools serving predominantly minority students?

School funding was based on property taxes, which are lower in minority neighborhoods due to segregation. Signup and view all the answers

In the 1973 case of San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, what argument did Texas give for saying funding disparities were not discriminatory?

They claimed they were meeting educational access requirements and funding disparities weren't their responsibility. Signup and view all the answers

In the 1973 case of San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, what arguments do Anderson and Justice Thurgood Marshall give for saying the funding disparities were discriminatory?

They argued that systemic issues existed and that disparities directly correlated with educational quality. Signup and view all the answers

In the 1974 case of Milliken v. Bradley, what reasons do Anderson and Justice Thurgood Marshall give for disagreeing that school segregation was nobody's fault?

They stated that state policies contributed to segregation and that the failure to address these issues exacerbated racial divides. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Nixon and Reagan administrations portray the reason for the Civil Rights movement?

They redefined the movement as symbolic and legislative rather than addressing deep-rooted inequalities. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Nixon and Reagan administrations portray racism?

They defined racism narrowly as actions by extremist groups, ignoring systemic and institutional racism. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Nixon and Reagan administrations portray the opportunities that society now offered to black Americans?

They suggested that society was 'colorblind' and that all barriers had been removed for black Americans. Signup and view all the answers

What widespread feeling among white Americans towards black Americans did Nixon and Reagan tap into?

Resentment; white Americans felt cheated as if black Americans were receiving unearned advantages. Signup and view all the answers

How and why did Nixon make his racism more covert and less explicit?

He framed black advancement as a threat to societal order, appealing to white voters without directly blaming blacks. Signup and view all the answers

How did Reagan publicly portray his attitudes about race?

He presented himself as blind to racial issues and depicted government aid as a handout for blacks. Signup and view all the answers

In what sort of programs did Reagan advocate budget cuts?

He cut funding for education, training, and labor services, disproportionately affecting black Americans. Signup and view all the answers

What effect did budget cuts have on black college enrollment and unemployment gap?

Black college enrollment decreased, unemployment gap increased, and relative spending power shifted in favor of whites. Signup and view all the answers

Who manufactured and facilitated the drug crisis, how, and for what reason?

Reagan's National Security Council and CIA funneled cocaine into the U.S. to finance Contra efforts in Nicaragua. Signup and view all the answers

How did Reagan advocate for handling drug abuse?

He promoted incarceration instead of education and painted inner-city blacks as the crisis perpetrators. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anderson mean in saying that the media 'blackened crack'?

He indicates that media coverage linked the crack epidemic primarily to black individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What are the key features of the anti-drug abuse act?

Mandatory sentences for drug offenses, emphasis on punishment over treatment, and a harsh disparity for rock cocaine. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Anderson say that racial discrimination was legalized in the criminal justice system?

The Supreme Court allowed laws targeting black people to prevail, exacerbated by the War on Drugs. Signup and view all the answers

What methods have been used to try and suppress black and Latino voting?

Implementing voter-ID laws, polling discrepancies, reduced early voting, and literacy tests. Signup and view all the answers

How did John McCain's strategists portray Obama?

They demonized his policies and portrayed him with negative racial and nationalistic stereotypes. Signup and view all the answers

What did Mitt Romney say he wished Obama would learn?

He wished Obama would 'learn to be an American.' Signup and view all the answers

In what way do some people seem to exhibit 'historical amnesia'?

They forget the role of government in improving their living standards, associating it instead with individualism. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Civil War and Reconstruction

Confederacy's perspective: The war centered on preserving slavery and the Southern way of life, including its social and economic systems.
Post-Civil War: Black people faced rampant discrimination, lacked voting rights, and had no political power or protection against white supremacy.

Johnson's Policies and Their Impact

Andrew Johnson granted amnesty to many Confederate leaders, reinstating their control and contributing to severe anti-Black violence without federal intervention.
Johnson's endorsement of the Black Codes resulted in new forms of oppression; for example, labor auctions were established for Black workers who defied contracts.
His opposition to leasing land to freedmen while supplying land to poor white men illustrated blatant racism.

Racial Stereotyping and Citizenship

Johnson described Black people as lazy, contradicting the fact that they were the ones doing the labor while white landowners often did not work.
The Black Codes depicted Black people as a burden to the state, although they made self-sufficiency impossible.
Johnson erroneously argued that African Americans needed to earn citizenship despite their contribution to the nation's wealth over centuries.

Legislative Obstructions

Johnson contested the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, claiming they were unconstitutional and unnecessary, anticipating potential Black dependence on government.
Efforts to prevent Black individuals from voting included poll taxes and attempts to defer ratification of the 14th Amendment.

Supreme Court Decisions

Landmark cases like Minor v. Happersett reinforced that voting rights are enforced by states, while United States v. Cruikshank reduced federal protections against racial violence.
Rulings in the Civil Rights Cases (1883) permitted public discrimination, undermining rights to dignity and equality.

Black Migration and Economic Exploitation

Many Black people sought to leave the South due to unsafe environments marked by violence and systemic oppression.
Sharecropping entrenched economic hardship, with landowners exploiting Black laborers through debts and contracts.

Resistance to Black Advancement

White Southerners opposed Black progress through various means, including enticement laws and violence against Black individuals seeking to leave.
Discrimination continued beyond the Mason-Dixon line, with Northern cities fighting against discrimination and facing issues like scarce housing and racial tensions.

Education and Economic Inequality

"Separate but equal" schooling resulted in significant resource disparities; Black schools suffered from funding shortages and inadequate resources.
School funding primarily based on property taxes created inequalities, as minority neighborhoods often held lower property values.

Impact of Federal Policies

Supreme Court decisions, like San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, did not address the discriminatory funding disparities, hindering the education of Black children.
Budget cuts initiated during the Nixon and Reagan administrations disproportionately affected programs benefiting Black Americans, exacerbating economic gaps.

Drug Policy and Criminalization

The Reagan administration was implicated in fostering the drug crisis, which had a devastating effect on Black communities, framing drug abuse as a criminal issue requiring incarceration.
Discriminatory policies in the criminal justice system legitimized racial profiling and targeted laws against Black citizens.

Voter Suppression Tactics

Modern methods of voter suppression included stringent ID requirements, limiting access to voting resources, and manipulating voting districts.
Racially motivated tactics aimed specifically at disenfranchising Black and Latino voters through historical legislation such as poll taxes and literacy tests.

Post-Racial Narratives

Nixon and Reagan redefined racism narrowly and suggested that societal issues arose from individual failings rather than systemic problems, promoting a "colorblind" perspective.
The portrayal of opportunities available to Black Americans suggested that all barriers had been removed, failing to address ongoing inequities.

Media Representation

The media's depiction of the drug epidemic predominantly associated Black individuals with crime, impacting public perception and policy responses.
The Ant-Drug Abuse Act emphasized punitive measures over treatment, leading to long-term negative consequences for Black communities.

Racial Awareness and Historical Amnesia

Many Americans exhibited "historical amnesia," forgetting government roles in societal advancement and attributing gains solely to personal effort, particularly when issues of race were involved.

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Description

Explore the key concepts surrounding the Civil War and its aftermath through this set of flashcards. Delve into the perspectives of the Confederacy and the post-war situation for black Americans. Perfect for students or anyone interested in understanding these historical events.