What happend to African Americans'civil rights during wilsons presidnetry?
During Woodrow Wilson's presidency, African Americans faced significant setbacks in their civil rights. Wilson's administration instituted policies that promoted racial segregation and further marginalized African Americans. Here are some key events that took place during Wilson's presidency:
1. Segregation in Federal Government: Wilson initiated the practice of segregating federal offices and departments, thereby limiting opportunities for African Americans. This policy became even more prominent after the release of the controversial film "The Birth of a Nation," which portrayed African Americans in a negative light.
2. Disenfranchisement and Jim Crow Laws: Wilson did not support or take action against the proliferation of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and denied basic rights to African Americans. These laws also aimed to suppress black voter turnout through tactics like literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses.
3. The Impact of the Great Migration: During Wilson's presidency, African Americans migrated in large numbers from the South to the North, seeking economic opportunities and escaping racial violence. Despite this migration, Wilson's policies perpetuated racial inequality and discrimination.
4. Opposition to Anti-Lynching Legislation: Wilson did not actively support federal anti-lynching legislation, despite the prevalence of racially motivated violence against African Americans. His refusal to endorse such legislation undermined efforts to address this deeply entrenched form of racial violence.
Understanding the impact of Wilson's presidency on African American civil rights involves studying historical sources, such as academic books, scholarly journals, and primary documents. Consulting books like "Woodrow Wilson and the Politics of Racial Segregation" by Eric J. Yellin and "The Age of Jim Crow: A Norton Documents Reader" edited by Jane Dailey, Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore, and Bryant Simon can provide further insights. Additionally, examining primary sources like speeches and newspapers from that era can help to grasp the context and impact of Wilson's policies.
Check this site.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/portrait/wp_african.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_wilson
The whole article is very interesting. He was more involved with economics and World War I, it seems, and he finally had to capitulate in terms of women's right to vote.
Here's also this section:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_wilson#Wilson_and_race
I don't believe African-Americans' civil rights were fought for until after (and possibly during) WWII. So I guess you could say that during Wilson's Presidency, their civil rights weren't much better than when their ancestors were slaves.