1. America Comes of Age (1890-1920)
Lesson 3 Striving for Equality

2. America Comes of Age (1890-1920) Lesson 3 Striving for Equality
Learning Objectives
Analyze Progressives' attitudes toward minority rights.
Describe the political organizations formed by African Americans to promote civil rights.
Examine the actions taken by other minority groups to expand their rights.

3. America Comes of Age (1890-1920) Lesson 3 Striving for Equality
Key Terms
Americanization
Booker T. Washington
W.E.B. Du Bois
Niagara Movement,
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Urban League.
Anti-Defamation League
mutualistas,
American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

4. Minorities Face Challenges in the Progressive Era
Prejudice and discrimination against minorities continued even as the Progressive Movement got underway. But in the spirit of Progressivism, African Americans, Latinos, Catholics, Jews, and new immigrant groups worked to help themselves. Their efforts paved the way for the era of civil rights that would follow decades later.

5. Minorities Face Challenges in the Progressive Era
The Americanization Movement
Effects of Racism and Plessy v. Ferguson

6. Minorities Face Challenges in the Progressive Era
Settlement houses, like the Nurse’s Settlement House in New York City, provided social services to immigrants, but also pressured them to embrace white, middle-class American customs.

7. Minorities Face Challenges in the Progressive Era
Americanization – progressive goal to make immigrants more “American”.
Taught English
Dress middle class
Foods and customs
Most immigrants drank alcohol with meals
Temperance Movement did not like that
Many Progressives agreed with bad scientific theories that dark-skinned people have less intelligence
During Imperial Age – segregation increased – Washington DC became segregated because of Wilson.

8. African Americans Promote Civil Rights
In the face of these injustices, the nation’s most visible African American leader urged patience. Booker T. Washington told blacks to move slowly toward racial progress. By working hard and waiting patiently, he believed, African Americans would gradually win white Americans’ respect and eventually would be able to exercise their full voting and citizenship rights.

9. African Americans Promote Civil Rights
A New Civil Rights Organization
NAACP Promotes Civil Rights
Urban League Seeks to Expand Economic Opportunities

10. African Americans Promote Civil Rights
Booker T. Washington – blacks should move slowly towards equality by working had and waiting patiently by earning respect
WEB Du Bois – demand equality now!
Met in Canada as they couldn’t get rooms in New York.
Niagara Movement – first major African American Civil Rights group
Denounce gradual progress (Washington)
Denounced trade skills
Should learn history, literature, and philosophy so AA can think for themselves
Never grew past a couple of hundred people

11. NAACP
1908 Springfield, IL – mob went to jail at night for two young blacks. Sheriff had removed them. Mob went crazy.
Killed two elderly black business owners (lynched) and burned 40 homes.
Lincoln’s hometown
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formed – Niagara movement absorbed
White and black leaders
Prominent women – Addams, Kelley, and Wells.
Du Bois editor of their magazine, The Crisis
Urban league – NAACP was more middle class, the Urban league
Focused on clubs, churches, clothing, and schooling

12. African Americans Promote Civil Rights
Analyze Information How did the views of these two leaders on the ways in which African Americans should secure civil rights differ?

13. African Americans Promote Civil Rights
W.E.B. Du Bois (center) and other founding members of the Niagara Movement attended the Niagara Conference in 1905.

14. Protecting Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities
African Americans were not alone in seeking rights. Individuals and organizations of diverse ethnic and religious groups spoke out against unfair treatment and took action by creating self-help agencies. For example, in northern cities, Catholic parishes offered a variety of social services to immigrants. In Chicago, a network of Polish Catholic groups grew so strong that it earned the nickname American Warsaw.

15. Protecting Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities
Expanding Rights and Opportunities for Jews
Expanding Rights and Opportunities for Mexican Americans
Native Americans Gain Citizenship
Fighting for Rights and Opportunities for Asian Americans

16. Protecting Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities
Polish Catholics move to Chicago – called American Warsaw.
Anti-Defamation League – formed in 1913, defend Jews against physical and verbal attacks.
Mutualistas – groups that made loans and gave legal assistance to Mexican Americans
Dawes Act – failed to assimilate Native Americans – 25 years land
American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 – all NA now citizens and full voting rights
Japanese Citizens not allowed to be citizens or owed property – put their land in their children's name.

17. Protecting Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities
Four young boys hard at work at an agricultural school in New York, a Catholic charity founded in 1912 to train orphans

18. Quiz: Minorities Face Challenges in the Progressive Era
What was the goal of Progressive Americanization efforts?
A. to assert American culture and influence during political missions overseas
B. to urge immigrants to replace their cultural traditions with middle-class Protestant practices and values
C. to discourage the assimilation of immigrants in order to preserve traditional American heritage
D. to embrace the cultural diversity that emerged as a result of immigration to the United States

19. Quiz: African Americans Promote Civil Rights
What kind of education did the Niagara Movement encourage?
A. the instruction of vocational trade skills in order to develop a skilled workforce
B. the study of history, literature, and philosophy to facilitate independent thinking
C. the teachings of Protestant American culture so quick assimilation could be easily achieved
D. the limited education of African Americans until they received more rights and respect

20. Quiz: Protecting Rights for Ethnic and Religious Minorities
Which minority group did the Anti-Defamation League primarily seek to protect?
A. Jews
B. Catholics
C. Asian Americans
D. Native Americans