The seeds of the Civil Rights Movement

Bourbon TriumvirateThe term Bourbon Triumvirate refers to

Georgia's three most powerful and prominent politicians of the post Reconstruction era

They controlled the Democratic Party in GA from 1870s to 1890s

(Bourbon - a line of French kings who were said to have “learned nothing and forgotten nothing”/ a triumvirate is a ruling class of 3 people)

• Joseph E. Brown• Alfred H. Colquitt• John B. Gordon

What were their goals?• wanted stronger economic ties with the

industrial North to expand Georgia’s economy/modernization/industrialization

• wanted to keep old south traditions including white supremacy – devoted to Lost Cause.

• supported New South movement (esp. when they could profit from it)

• a frugal state government that demanded little of taxpayers (did not want to raise taxes)

• Gordon and especially Brown made use of convict labor in their industrial enterprises.

Joseph Brown• Lawyer from Canton• Elected to state senate in

1849• Served in senate until

1855• Became a judge for Blue

Ridge Judicial Circuit• Elected governor 1857• Popular “states’ rights”

governor• Governor during Civil

War

John GordonLieutenant general

in Civil WarU.S. Senator 1872 Two-term governor

of GeorgiaReduced the state’s

debt and brought new industry to Georgia

Alfred Colquitt • Fought/Mexican War• State senator• Served in Congress before

Civil War• Major General in Civil War• Governor/1876– Involved in

scandal/government jobs/called for investigation/found innocent/re-elected as governor/served until 1882

– Reduced state’s debt

Henry GradyThe person credited with coming up with the term New South

Who was he?UGA graduateManaging editor of Atlanta Constitution“voice of the New South” Encouraged northern industry in Georgia and

spoke of “New South”:Helped bring jobs, recognition, and

investments to recovering Georgia economyHelped increase the amount of manufacturing

Believed in white supremacy

AccomplishmentsHelped bring jobs, recognition, and

investments into recovering Georgia economyIntroduced new technology: ”interview

process” in news storiesIncreased circulation to over 140,000-most

widely read paper in the nation

Bourbon TriumvirateAll three men had extensive interests in the

railroad and coal-mining industries, among other commercial pursuits.

They used the prisoner lease system to make a personal fortune. A practice many opposed.

Henry Grady“voice of the New South” UGA graduateManaging editor of Atlanta

ConstitutionEncouraged northern

industry in Georgia and spoke of “New South”:Helped bring jobs,

recognition, and investments to recovering Georgia economy

Helped increase the amount of manufacturing

Believed in white supremacy

International Cotton States ExhibitionShowcased the

economic recovery of the South (in which cotton played a large role)

Highlighted Georgia’s natural resources

Lured northern investors/ to increase the industries in the New South

Thomas WatsonControversial

national leader of Populist party/wealthy/lawyer/concerned about GA’s poor, struggling white and black farmers

AccomplishmentsIntroduced the Rural

Free Delivery (RFD) bill/required US postmaster general to find a way to deliver mail to rural homes free of charge= boom in building of roads, bridges & other improvements needed to deliver the mail rurally

Later years1904-He endorsed the

disenfranchisement of African American voters

During his 1908 presidential bid, he ran as a white supremacist and launched attacks in his magazine and newspaper against blacks.

Rebecca Latimer Felton

Rebecca Latimer FeltonHusband (William)

leader of Independent Democrats

Rebecca worked to support his political causes by their newspaper The Cartersville courant-attacked Bourbons

Believed leaders of D party ignored poor/lower class

Rebecca Latimer FeltonLeader:

Suffrage (women’s right to vote) and temperance/prohibition (anti-alcohol) movements

Prison system reform Particularly opposed the prisoner lease system

Women’s rightsAnti-lynchingAntismoking

Promoted:

Childcare, compulsory school attendance, admission of women to UGA, white supremacy

*First woman in U.S. Senate (appointed as replacement after death of Thomas Watson)

*Oldest Senator-87 years old

*Shortest term-24 hours

Jim Crow laws

Atlanta Riots of 1906Newspapers

reported violence against whites (especially women), this set off riots.

White mob gathered in African American neighborhoods and attacked people, destroyed homes and businesses.

The resultsOne of worst riots in

the nation’s historyAtlanta Journal/Atlanta

Constitution promoted disenfranchisement

At least 18 AA and 3 whites were killed

Hundreds of people were injured

Property was destroyed

Atlanta's image as a thriving New South city was damaged

County Unit system:How it worked

The 8 most populated counties had 6 county unit votes each (total-48)

Next 30 counties had 4 county unit votes each (total-120)

Remaining 121 counties had 2 county unit votes each (total-242)

The 38 largest counties had 2/3 of Georgia’s voters, but the other 121 counties together could decide a state election

County Unit SystemThe system used in GA (1877-1963) that gave

rural counties an advantage over urban counties in elections to the state legislature

Granted more representation per person (Democrats)

Allowed rural counties to control elections (more power) allowed rural areas to have same political power as larger populated areas

CUS violated the principle of "one man, one vote" 1963

Plessy vs. FergusonWhat was this?A Supreme Court ruling upholding “separate

but equal” facilities for blacks.Impact on blacks-It gave states the right to control social

discrimination and to promote segregation.Throughout the South, many laws segregated

parks, public transportation, and schools. It was not until 1954 with the Brown vs. Board of Ed. that segregated schools became unlawful.

Plessy vs. FergusonIn 1892, Homer Plessy (7/8 white & 1/8

black) bought a train ticket (New Orleans to Covington, LA) and sat in the white section to test the constitutionality of the “separate but equal” Jim Crow law. He was arrested because he would not leave the white section of the trains. (Jim Crow cars) (Judge Ferguson tried the case)

$25 fine20 days in jail

DisenfranchisementWhat? Depriving a person of the rights of

citizenship, particularly the right to vote.Impact-All designed to keep blacks from voting.1. Grandfather clause: stated that only those

men whose fathers or grandfathers had been eligible to vote in 1867 were eligible to vote

Impact- very few African Americans could vote at that time, thus preventing most of Georgia’s African Americans from voting. 47% of GA’s population were African Americans.

Disenfranchisement2. poll tax- a tax to be able to vote3. literacy test- questions could contain

almost anything the voting clerk thought would stump the voter

Booker T. WashingtonOne of the outstanding civil rights leader of his dayPresident of Tuskegee Institute (AL)Believed that economic independence was the only

road to social and political equality.Gave historic speech at the Cotton States and

International Exposition: Atlanta Compromise speech because it proposed that blacks and whites should agree to benefit from each other economically

he advocated vocational-industrial education for blacks as a means of improving southern race relations.

Washington asked whites to trust blacks and provide them with opportunities so that both races could advance in industry and agriculture. This shared responsibility came to be known as the Atlanta Compromise.

W. E. B. DuboisDisagreed with WashingtonHe thought that truth and knowledge would

help different races understand and accept each other

He wanted social/political integrationHe wanted higher education for 10%

(Talented Tenth) for the African American population. Believed this group could become leaders for black Americans

W. E. B. DuboisHe believed that African Americans deserved

equal access to the political, social, and economic worlds of the South

As lynching increased (2,500 reported), he decided that knowledge and truth alone were not enough, that there must be action if the races were to understand and accept each other

John HopeJohn Hope- first black

president of Atlanta Baptist College/1906 (Morehouse)

President of Atlanta University 1929

Attended protest meeting in NY/resulted in founding of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

John HopePresident of the National Association of

Teachers of Colored SchoolsLeader- Association for the Study of Negro

Life and HistoryInternational recognition for work with

YMCAUnder his leadership:Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and

Clark colleges, Gannon Theological Seminary, and Atlanta University formed the Atlanta University Center

John HopePresident of the National Association of

Teachers of Colored SchoolsLeader- Association for the Study of Negro

Life and HistoryInternational recognition for work with

YMCAUnder his leadership:Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and

Clark colleges, Gannon Theological Seminary, and Atlanta University formed the Atlanta University Center

Lugenia Burns Hopewell-known civic leaderOrganized the

Neighborhood Union provided vocational classes for children, a health center (medical and dental care), clubs for boys and girls, provided financial aid for needy families, pressured city leaders to improve roads, lighting, and sanitation in the African American neighborhoods of Atlanta

Alonzo HerndonBorn a slave on a

Walton County plantation

After Civil War, worked for old master for $25 a year

Learned to be a barber/moved to Jonesboro to open barber shop Crystal Palace Barber Shop

Alonzo HerndonBorn a slave on a Walton County plantationAfter Civil War, worked for old master for

$25 a yearLearned to be a barber/moved to Jonesboro

to open barber shop Crystal Palace Barber Shop

Within 6 mts/owned half interest in the business/early 1900s opened 3 new shops for white customers