The Great War and Racial Equality

Joined The war after two and a half years
1. Previously America had enjoyed an economic windfall following the boom in Allied orders
2. Had been neutral
3. April 6, 1917
America suffered no war damage or major losses
Wilson administration had been very efficient
1. Entire population enlisted in struggle
  1. Work or fight
2. Army of two million men sent to Europe
3. Federal government comendered the rail roads and placed industry on a war footing
Blacks embraced the 'war for democracy'
1. Hoped that whites would reward their loyalty
2. "It's the business of the Negro not to sit idly" Du Bois
Effects on blacks
1. The great migration
  1. Problems faced
    1. Lack of skills
    2. Money
    3. Freinds
    4. Relations in north
    5. Discrimination in employment
      1. Low wages
      2. Worst jobs
        Unskilled
        Few trade unions
        American Federation of Labour allowed blacks
  2. In 1915 the migration north swelled
    1. 330,000 during Great War
      1. Modest in comparison to Second world war
  3. To people in northern cities this seemed like a flood
  4. Suspected a political scheme behind migration
    1. However, report from Department of labour...
      1. "O please help me get out of this low down country where i am counted no more than a dog"
2. Employment
  1. Took advantage of acute labour shortage
    1. Especially rail
  2. Many companies bean to allow black workers
    1. Ford
  3. Women worked in kitchens etc.
Highlighting racial discrimination
1. 'War for democracy' should be a fight against racial tyranny at home, not just German autocracy
2. Heightened resentment of discrimination
  1. More active
    1. Petition to Wilson: could make the Negro an "efficient fighter for victory" by dressing some of his grievances
      1. Better conditions on transport
      2. Greater employment opportunities
      3. Suppression on lynching
  2. support for NAACP increased
    1. 1914: 54 branches
      1. 1918: 117 branches
3. Black support on every level of government encouraged militancy
  1. Black advisers in washington
  2. Encourages southern whites to consult blacks leaders
Question of whether to allow black soldiers
1. Whites resented black soldiers
2. Possible in-fighting
3. The selective service act did not take into account race
  1. Over 2 million blacks registered
    1. 367,000 conscripted into army
      1. However, they weren't trained
        NAACP opposed
        Got black officer training
        Camp Des Moines: 2000 black officers
        Du Bois detected softening of white hostility
        Charlotte Observer: the Negro is "measuring up to the full valuation of a citizen and patriot"
        Du Bois: "From now on we may expect to see the walls of prejudice gradually crumble"
        Seen as exceptional few
The white backlash 1917
1. Wartime spirit of cooperation was superficial
  1. Whites wanted to put blacks back in their place
2. Increased activism resulted in backlash
  1. St Illinois
    1. Whites began to attack blacks
      1. "made a flying lead, his heels came down on the man's face" white newspaper
        40 blacks died
        8 whites died
        Police on side of whites
        Never fired at them
    2. Protested against unions
  2. Blacks fight back
    1. Houston riot
      1. Twenty fourth infantry (black) wreaked vengeance
        Defied officers
        Shot a guard
        Opened fire on police station
        Killed 5 policemen
        12 people killed in total
        Resulted in the hanging of 19 soldiers
        Black anger
        Wilson commute 10/16 death sentences left to be carried out
        Southern whites sent black troops to other areas e.g. Mexican border and France
Black soldiers in France
1. As poorly equipped as white soldiers
  1. VS. professional Germans
    1. Severely mauled
2. Eventually learnt how to fight effectively
3. Received little credit
  1. General Robert Bullard: 'poor negroes'
Du Bois: 'we return fighting'
1. New breed of radicals
  1. Broadened horizons
  2. Combat experience
  3. Greater political awareness
  4. Bitterness
2. Having fought for democracy in Europe, "we are cowards and jackasses if...we do not marshal every ounce of our brain and brawn to fight"
3. "The Messenger"
  1. Randolph
  2. Labelled Wilson a narrow-minded bigot...
4. Marcus Mosiah Garvey
  1. Enthralled 3000 people with his oratory
  2. Founder of Universal Negro improvement association
  3. Garvey attuned himself to radical mood
    1. Increased UNIA membership
    2. Bigger crowds
    3. Unite under his leadership
    4. Blacks speaking openly about their grudges in the south
      1. "the bitterness in their hearts"
5. Blacks wanted
  1. Equal education
  2. The vote
  3. Fair courts
  4. Black jurors
  5. protection for black women
  6. End to lynching
  7. End employment discrimination
  8. End Jim Crow
6. NAACP south expansion 1914=3 branches 1919=131
  1. 33,000 extra members
7. Increased union membership
The "Red summer" of 1919
1. White had increased determination to keep blacks in their place
2. Blacks did not take repression passively
  1. Du Bois: "we prepare to meet it with bricks and clubs and guns
  2. Elain, Arkansas riots of Oct 1919
    1. Black violence crushed with over-whelming black violence
    2. 600 federal troops aided local whites in hunting blacks. As many as 250 perished
3. 76 lynchings
4. Anyone who opposed white supremacy= dangerous radial
5. Massive blow for NAACP southern expansion

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