Question 1

How did other black leaders, like W. E. B. Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph, view Garvey?

Accepted Answer

W. E. B. Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph were critical of Marcus Garvey, viewing his ideas as dangerous and often denigrating him, as they disagreed with his separatist and back-to-Africa movement.

Question 2

What do the activities of the NAACP regarding "white primaries" and in the Sweet case tell us about their tactics during the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

The NAACP's activities with the "white primaries" and the Sweet case demonstrate that they continued to rely on legal intervention and court-based tactics to gain civil rights for black Americans during the 1920s. They believed in fighting against discriminatory laws and policies through the legal system and challenged them in courts. There is no evidence to suggest that the NAACP was adopting violent protest or calling for blacks to move to Africa. Additionally, the NAACP was taking a clear stand on race issues and was not following white politicians at this time.

Question 3

What man was very important in greatly expanding the membership of the NAACP through the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

James Weldon Johnson was a prominent African American leader, writer, and musician who served as the executive secretary of the NAACP during the 1920s. He implemented successful strategies for expanding the organization's membership and increasing its influence in the fight for civil rights.

Question 4

What made many Americans fear that communism might spread to the United States in 1919 and 1920?

Accepted Answer

The fear was fueled by widespread labor strikes and agitation in the U.S., along with the recent success of communist forces in the Soviet Union, leading to concerns about similar uprisings in America.

Question 5

For what proposal is Garvey best remembered?

Accepted Answer

Garvey is best remembered for establishing the Black Star Line, a group of steamships that were supposed to help blacks get back to Africa. This was a major effort towards promoting black nationalism and self-determination.

Question 6

What organization did Marcus Garvey form in Jamaica in 1914?

Accepted Answer

Marcus Garvey formed the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica in 1914. The UNIA aimed to unite black people worldwide and promote their economic, social, and political independence. It later became a major organization during the Harlem Renaissance in the United States.

Question 7

What did the film, Birth of a Nation, depict?

Accepted Answer

The film Birth of a Nation depicted an incredibly racist view of blacks as either ignorant or rapists, along with a glorification of the Ku Klux Klan.

Question 8

How did Garvey react to the KKK?

Accepted Answer

Garvey praised the KKK as being honest about their beliefs, contrasting them with other whites whom he saw as hypocritical.

Question 9

What does the case of Sacco and Vanzetti tell us about America in the early 1920s?

Accepted Answer

The case of Sacco and Vanzetti reflected the xenophobia and prejudice against immigrants that existed in America during the early 1920s. Many people believed that their conviction and execution were not based on solid evidence, but rather on anti-immigrant sentiment.

Question 10

What was not a popular reaction to the film, Birth of a Nation?

Accepted Answer

The film did not encourage students to study the American Revolution; it portrayed black people in a negative and stereotypical light, leading to protests from the NAACP and occasional incidents of white violence against blacks. However, it was enormously popular among American audiences at the time of its release.

Question 11

What was the ultimate result of the Dyer anti-lynching bill?

Accepted Answer

The Dyer anti-lynching bill was introduced in the House multiple times between 1918 and 1922, and while it gained some publicity for the anti-lynching crusade, it ultimately failed to pass. So, although it was not unpopular like option B, and not weak as option D, it did not achieve its goal of becoming legislation, making option A incorrect.

Question 12

What was not true about Marcus Garvey and his ideas?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was not true about Marcus Garvey...

Question 13

What organization reemerged shortly after the release of the movie, The Birth of a Nation?

Accepted Answer

The release of the movie, The Birth of a Nation, in 1915 glorified the Ku Klux Klan, leading to the organization's resurgence.

Question 14

What is true about academic studies and academic views of race in the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

The 1920s saw widespread use of eugenics, a pseudoscientific theory that sought to improve the genetic quality of the human population by selective breeding. Many prominent scholars, including professors from Harvard and other prestigious universities, published books warning about the dangers of immigration and the "dilution" of the white race.

Answer: D
 The 1920s were a time of social conservatism, and many academic studies during this time avoided controversial topics like race to avoid offending people or stirring up controversy. It wasn't until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s that serious academic studies of race became more common.

Question 15

What 1960s civil rights leader was very influenced by Garvey, and continued promoting some of his ideas?

Accepted Answer

Malcolm X was very influenced by Garvey and continued promoting some of his ideas, particularly the idea of black pride and self-reliance. Martin Luther King, Jr. was influenced by Gandhi's ideas of nonviolent resistance, Bayard Rustin was a key organizer behind the March on Washington, and Jesse Jackson emerged as a leader in the 1980s.

Question 16

Garvey wanted to establish a settlement in Liberia. What stopped him?

Accepted Answer

Garvey's requests to the League of Nations to establish a settlement in Liberia were blocked by the American, British, and French governments. They wanted to maintain control over Liberia and the surrounding areas, and did not want Garvey's plan to interfere with their interests.

Question 17

How was the Klan of the 1920s different from the Reconstruction Klan?

Accepted Answer

The Klan in the 1920s broadened their bigotry to encompass not just African Americans, but also Catholics, Jews, and immigrants. The Reconstruction Klan, on the other hand, was mainly focused on preventing black people from exercising their civil rights.

Question 18

What led to the decline of the Klan?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What led to the decline of the...

Question 19

What author influenced Garvey's early ideas about changing the situation of blacks?

Accepted Answer

Garvey was heavily influenced by the ideas of Booker T. Washington, who advocated for black economic self-sufficiency and education as a means to improve their situation. Garvey also drew inspiration from Washington's Tuskegee Institute, which focused on vocational education for black students.

Question 20

What benefits did Marcus Garvey and his ideas bring to many black people?

Accepted Answer

Marcus Garvey's ideas brought a sense of pride and celebration of Black culture, history, and heritage, which was empowering to many Black people. While his organization did provide some economic benefits to members, it was not a significant factor in the overall impact of his ideas.

Quiz 17: African Americans and the 1920s