Holt African American History Chapter 8

Holt African American History Chapter 8

A New Century and New Opportunities

Section 1 The World War I Years

Section 2 Changes in Black Society

Section 3 The Harlem Renaissance

Holt African American History Chapter 8
Section 1: The World War I Years
Main Idea
In the early 1900s imperialism in Africa and World War I affected
people of African descent worldwide.

Reading Focus
How did people of African descent react to European
imperialism in Africa in the late 1800s?
How did World War I begin?
What roles did African Americans play in World War I?
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Building Background

As Americans were busy settling new territories in the

West in the late 1800s, powerful European countries were
expanding as well. Many countries rushed to establish
colonies around the globe. This race for colonies would
eventually play a part in the outbreak of one of the most
devastating wars in historyWorld War I.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Imperialism in Africa
For centuries Western nations controlled colonies around
the world; practice of imperialism gave powerful nations
control of weaker nations
Ruling countries benefited economically
Colonies supplied valuable raw materialssuch as metals,
cotton, and timberfor European factories
Colonies served as a market for European goods
Late 1800s and early 1900s saw new wave of imperialism
Western nations sought out more colonies with Africa a chief
target; European nations raced to gain access to natural
resources
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Belgium and the Congo Other Western Nations
Belgiums King Leopold IIthe France controlled French West
Congo Free State in Central Africa Africa
Companies allowed to exploit British held colonies in Egypt,
regions people; forced them to Nigeria, and southern Africa
collect resources for export Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain
Other nations colonized Africa as also held African colonies
well

Responses to Takeover Pan-Africanism

1914 only two African nations still W. E. B. Du Bois, a conference
independent organizer, took up the idea of Pan-
Black leaders held the first Pan- Africanism; people of African
African Conference in 1900; heritage should work together to
people of African descent gathered achieve freedom and equality
to address issues facing blacks, Idea powerful influence for future
including racism and imperialism black activists
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Identify Cause and Effect

What conditions led to the creation of the Pan-

African movement?
Answer(s):
imperialism in Africa and racism against
people of African descent
Holt African American History Chapter 8
World War I Begins
In 1914 tensions between imperialist powers exploded into a war that came to
involve all of the worlds Western powers.
The United States Enters the War
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia; within weeks a network
of treaties and alliances pulled almost every country in Europe into
the fighting
On one side Allied Powers of France, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia
Opposing them were the Central Powers of Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire
The U.S. remained neutral, or chose not to take sides for three
years; most Americans did not want a bloody overseas war
After German attacks on U.S. merchant ships and the deaths of
American civilians, the United States joined the war on the Allied
side
Holt African American History Chapter 8

The Call for Troops

Thousands of men volunteered for military service; as with the Civil
War black men eager to serve their country were turned away
African Americans themselves were divided over the issue of serving
Some black leaders wondered why those denied full rights at home
should defend freedom for others
Other black leaders, such as Robert S. Abbott, publisher of the Chicago
Defender, and W. E. B. Du Bois, supported the war effort; urged African
Americans to volunteer in spite of the discrimination faced at home
In May 1917 Congress passed the Selective Service Act
African American men allowed to serve their country in the war to end
all wars
Black troops would face discrimination in the armed forces much like
the discrimination they faced in civilian life
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Analyze

How did African American attitudes toward serving

in World War I differ?
Answer(s):
Some believed that blacks should not
defend a home country in which they
were denied full rights. Others thought
that blacks should fight for democracy.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
African Americans in World War I
As Du Bois argued, Out of the war will risean American Negro, with the
right to vote, and the right to work, and the right to live without insult.

Blacks Serve in the War Combat Roles

Once U.S. entered the war, the Only 40,000 blacks saw action on
African American troops already in the battlefield
the armed forces called to duty Eugene Jacques Bullard, the
20,000 black troops in the U.S. worlds first black fighter pilot
Army and National Guard units; by Joined the French Foreign Legion
wars end 370,000 had served in 1914; flew on 20 missions with
All-black divisions commanded by French air force
white officers; received little or no U.S. Army Air Service rejected him
training with weapons when he sought to fly for his native
Worry that African Americans who countryblack pilots were not
could use guns posed a threat welcome
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Black Army Officers
When U.S. entered World War I in
1917, only three African American
commissioned officers in the entire U.S.
military
As black troops joined the military, black
leaders protested discrimination against
black officers
Black leaders argued that the
government should not deny the right
of our best [Negro] men to lead troops
of their race into battle
May 1917 the U.S. Army finally
established a training camp in Iowa for
black officers
By wars end, this camp commissioned
more than 600 black officers; most
assigned to black labor battalions
behind the front
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Black Troops in Combat
Two Combat Units Opportunity
Only two African American units The 369th fought bravely; became
saw overseas combatthe 92nd the first Allied unit to reach the
and the 93rd infantry divisions Rhine River in Germany
The 92nd arrived on the front lines Service came at a high cost
in France in August 1918; saw almost 1,500 Harlem Hell Fighters
heavy fighting against Germans died in combat; 171 members of the
The 93rds most famous unit, the 369th received the Legion of Honor,
369th Infantry, also known as the Frances highest award
Harlem Hell Fighters Most highly honored African
Spring of 1918, the unit assigned to American soldiers in World War I
serve with the French army; were both members of the 369th
accustomed to fighting with black Henry Johnson and Needham
soldiers from Frances African Roberts
colonies, French troops did not Both honored with the Croix de
object to integrating their forces Guerre for their bravery
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Black Nurses
Before World War I, a group of black women organized the National
Association of Colored Nurses; determined that African American nurses gain
proper recognition and be accepted as professionals
In September 1918, a devastating worldwide flu epidemic broke out; needing
nurses, the army sent 18 black nurses to hospitals in Ohio and Illinois
Nurses tended both black and white patients; earned high praise from those
they worked with

After the War

Returning African American veterans received little recognition for their
wartime sacrifices; the 369th Infantry honored in a war veterans parade, other
areas largely ignored blacks contributions
Veterans refused to accept these insults quietly
After helping to fight for freedom overseas, many believed that earned the
right for greater freedoms at home
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Summarize

What roles did African Americans play in the

course of World War I?
Answer(s):
African American soldiers fought in
combat, served as officers, and provided
manual labor; black nurses served in the
1918 flu outbreak.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Section 2: Changes in Black Society
Main Idea
The migration of African Americans to the North and the birth of
black nationalism resulted in changes for black society.

Reading Focus
What led thousands of southern blacks to migrate to the
North?
What events led up to the Red Summer of 1919?
How did black nationalism and social gains lead to changes in
the United States?
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Building Background

As the United States entered World War I in Europe,

changes were taking place at home. Tired of years of
discrimination and poverty in the South, thousands of
African Americans began moving to the North in record
numbers. This migration of people led to many changes
in the United States.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
The Great Migration
Demand for war equipment and supplies surged with war; northern
factories booming, but work force fighting overseas
Many northern businesses looked to the South for workers; African
Americans from the South moved north in search of better lives
Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Detroit held the promise of steady jobs
African American newspapers such as the Chicago Defender played
key role in encouraging black southerners to move north
Black southerners hoped to escape the segregation, poverty, and
racial violence they often faced in the South, where many had little
choice but to work as sharecroppers or in low-paying jobs
Economic troublesduring the war, farmers and laborers suffered
from damaged crops, poor harvests, and a sharp drop in wages
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Effects of the Great Migration Changes to Northern Cities
Economic and social factors Key result rapid growth of many
resulted in 330,000 black northern cities
southerners moving north Black Americans moved in record
This enormous movement of numbers to industrial cities in the
people from 1910 to 1920 North
became known as the Great St. Louis, Chicago, and Detroit
Migration experienced tremendous growth

Influence on Culture The Blues

Massive movement of people Born in the Mississippi Delta and
influenced northern culture nurtured in New Orleans, the blues
African Americans brought combines instrumental rhythms and
southern customs with them expressive vocals to convey deep
Black musicians from the South emotions, especially sadness or
introduced the blues to many love
northern cities Blues musician W.C. Handy
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Summarize

How did the Great Migration lead to changes in the

North?
Answer(s):
The arrival of African Americans in the
North led to the growth of cities and the
introduction of elements of southern
culture.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Red Summer of 1919
Racial tension in the United States grew more severe after the end of World
War I, reaching a peak in 1919 when race riots broke out across the country.
James Weldon Johnson named the bloody racial violence the Red Summer.

Racial Tensions Rise Expectations

Reasonsfactory jobs war-related African American expectations
Demand for products fell suddenly changing
after war; workers lost their jobs Many blacks felt they had earned
Little work available for returning greater freedom at home after
American soldiers; competed with helping fight for freedom overseas
African Americans for scarce during the war
factory jobs Some whites determined to resist
Resulting competition between any changes to the status quo
black and white workers led to a African Americans grew
sharp increase in tensions in many increasingly frustrated and angry
cities
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Violence Breaks Out

In the South, some whites began to punish anyone who

encouraged black people to move north or otherwise
assert their independence; some cities levied heavy fees
against recruiting agents
In other places, laws made it illegal to sell or distribute
black publications such as the Chicago Defender or the
NAACPs magazine The Crisis, both of which encouraged
black southerners to seek better lives in the North
A number of race riots broke out in the summer of 1919;
25 such riots were recorded
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Race Riots
Riots in Charleston, SC; Washington, D.C.; Knoxville, TN;
Longview, TX; Elaine, AR; Omaha, NE; and Chicago, IL
Most of these race riots triggered by what could have
been harmless events
Other riots had more intentional beginnings; Knoxville and
Omaha riots both began when mobs tried to protect
blacks accused of attacking white citizens
The Longview riot begun by white men who went to the
black section of town to punish a schoolteacher who had
written condemnation of recent lynchings for the Chicago
Defender
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Identify

What led to the outbreak of race riots in 1919?

Answer(s):
an increase in racial tension caused by
competition for jobs and resistance to
change
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Black Nationalism and Social Gains
Violence during the Red Summer did little to deter black Americans, who
increased their efforts to end discrimination and win equal rights.

Marcus Garvey
Founder of the black nationalism movement
Black nationalism was the belief that black people around the world should
create their own societies, separate and distinct from white societies
Direct contrast to Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, and the NAACP,
who believed in breaking down barriers between blacks and whites
Garvey feared that this goal threatened the racial purity of African Americans
and that it discouraged the feelings of unity and strength he tried to foster in
black communities worldwide
In 1914, Garvey founded an organization known as the Universal Negro
Improvement Association (UNIA) with a goal of encouraging a return to
Africa to build a new nation there
Its slogan was Back to Africa
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Independent Black Economy

Believing that respect and self-reliance would come from economic strength,
Garvey wanted to build an independent black economy in the United States
Felt blacks should take pride in their African heritage; his newspaper, The
Negro World, boasted of the accomplishments of people of African descent
and of the glories of African culture
Message of self-reliance and black pride proved enormously popular, and the
UNIA soon claimed some 2 million members
Garvey made many enemies; 1922 Garvey and other members of the UNIA
indicted for mail fraud
Supporters felt charges politically motivated but Garvey convicted and
imprisoned in 1925
Released from jail in 1927; forced to leave the country
Without his leadership the UNIA soon declined
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
New Labor Unions
1910sBenjamin Fletcher organized unions under the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW); included most of Philadelphias black dockworkers
In 1925A. Philip Randolph lead the formation of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters; the countrys first truly successful black labor union
Unionizing dangerous; Fletcher spent 10 years in jail for his unionizing efforts;
a 1919 race riot started when whites attacked black farmers discussing plans
to join a union

Victories Against Lynching

NAACP leaders believed in the need for a federal anti-lynching law
From 1901 to 1920, 16 anti-lynching bills had been introduced; in 1922 the
House passed the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill
Despite support from the NAACP and President Warren G. Harding, the bill
was again blocked in the Senate; reintroduced in 1923no action taken
Debate over the Dyer Bill raised public outrage over lynchings
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Analyze

What were three ways in which African Americans

worked to improve their lives in the 1910s and
1920s?
Answer(s):
black nationalism, the creation of labor
unions, and the fight against lynching
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Section 3: The Harlem Renaissance
Main Idea
Expressions of black culture, including literature, music, and art,
reached new heights during the Harlem Renaissance of the
1920s and 1930s.

Reading Focus
Why was Harlem home to an outpouring of African American
cultural expression?
Who were some key writers and poets of the Harlem
Renaissance?
What roles did black performers and musicians play in the
Harlem Renaissance?
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Building Background

During the Great Migration, New York City was a primary

destination for many black migrants to the North. There,
thousands of African Americans hoped to build better
lives for themselves. In one New York neighborhood,
black artists and intellectuals would begin a vibrant artistic
and literary movement that would shape American
culture.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Roots of the Harlem Renaissance
Thousands of African Americans flocked to New York City during the Great
Migration
Many migrants to New York settled in the neighborhood known as Harlem;
located in the northern portion of Manhattan Island, Harlem a popular
neighborhood for African Americans since end of 1800s
After World War I, Harlem center of black social and cultural life and activism
African Americans living in Harlem felt a strong sense of racial pride and
identity
Attracted talented African American artists, writers, thinkers, and
musicians
Community shared their experiences; encouraged greater creative heights
Common theme resistance to white prejudice and a pride in African American
culture and heritage
Harlem home to the first branch of the NAACP and Marcus Garveys
Universal Negro Improvement Association
Holt African American History Chapter 8
W.E.B. Du Bois National Urban League
Served as editor of NAACPs The Also helping promote racial pride
Crisis; magazine published in National Urban League
Harlem Like the NAACP, the Urban League
Featured African American writing published a magazine
and poetry; The magazine Opportunity
Helped promote racial pride and highlighted black culture
identity

Alain Locke Harlem Renaissance

Notable figure in the development Locke pushed black authors to
of African American culture in the write about African American life
early 1900s By 1917, emphasis on black
Howard University philosophy culture led to the artistic and
professor; Locke encouraged black literary movement known as the
artists to connect to their African Harlem Renaissance
heritage
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Draw Conclusions

Why do you think that Harlem was home to an

African American cultural movement?
Answer(s):
because many African Americans lived in
the area, including artists and
intellectuals
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Black Writers and Poets
The Harlem Renaissance dominated African American cultural life for two
decades. Writers and poets expressed new ideas about life and culture.

A Burst of Creativity
Works of white writers focusing on the black experience in the
U.S. served to inspire African American writers and poets who
burst onto the U.S. cultural scene during the Harlem Renaissance
Works of talented black writers promoted through leading African
American magazines, such as The Crisis and Opportunity
National Urban League hosting an annual literary contest
The contest helped propel black writers into the mainstream
of American literature.
Common themes among these writers were racial pride and
resistance to prejudice
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Langston Hughes
Poet, essayist, and playwright Langston Hughesone of the
best-known writers of the Harlem Renaissance
Came to national attention in 1921 at the age of 19 when his
poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers appeared in The Crisis
In 1925 he won a poetry prize from Opportunity magazine
One of the leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance
Produced poems, plays, and novels focusing on black life and
culture; believed that black writers should express their individual
dark-skinned selves without fear or shame.
Works used African American slang and musical rhythms and
expressed the joy, suffering, and pride of being a black American
Hughes wrote until his death in 1967; celebrated as leading writer
in American literature
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Other Writers and Poets
Another gifted Harlem writer James Weldon Johnson
Co-wrote the song Lift Every Voice and Sing, which became the official
NAACP anthem
A political activist, Johnson helped organize anti-lynching activities for the
NAACP and pushed for the passage of the Dyer Bill
Some consider his Gods Trombones, a collection of African American
sermons written in verse, among the finest Harlem Renaissance works

Claude McKay
Claude McKay considered the spokesperson for the more militant group of
young black writers during this period
One most famous poems, If We Must Die, deals with violence of the Red
Summer of 1919; one of the first Renaissance writers to gain widespread
success
1928 best-selling novel, Home to Harlem, most successful novel by an
African American writer up to that time
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Zora Neale Hurston Novelist
Major contributor to the new literary Hurston wrote plays, novels, and
movement in Harlem short stories; most famous novel,
Hurstons writing influenced by Their Eyes Were Watching God,
folklore, or traditional stories, about a young black woman in the
sayings, and other art forms early 1900s still feeling the legacy
1935 of Mules and Men, a collection of slavery and discrimination
gathered during FL study Other female writers emerged

Other Writers Literary Movement

As literary editor for The Crisis, Spread beyond New York
Jessie Redmon Fauset helped Black writers were inspired to
promote the careers of writers and publish their own works,
was a successful novelist herself contributing to the revitalization of
Another celebrated Harlem writer black culture
Nella Larsen often focused on the Writers outside the United States
lives of African American women were influenced
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Summarize

What topics did writers of the Harlem Renaissance

address?

Answer(s):
They often addressed black life and
culture, including politics, folklore, and
society.
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Musicians, Artists, and Performers
Literature was not the only focus of the Harlem Renaissance. African
American musicians, artists, and performers also took center stage in Harlem
in the early 1900s.

The Jazz Age New Music

Late 1920s, Harlem was the New, different, and wholly original
hotspot for a new form of music American form of music
called jazz Jazz traveled to northern cities
Birth traced back to turn-of-the- like Chicago and New York
century New Orleans A jazz song might start with a
African American musicians known melody or theme, but
blended several musical styles, much of the music was composed
including spirituals, blues, ragtime, on the spot
marching band music, hillbilly Jazz could be fast to slow, and it
music, and various European was easy to dance to
traditions
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Louis Armstrong
Jazz was by its spirit and creativity; Man, if you have to ask what it is,
legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong once stated, youll never know
A leading performer on the Harlem jazz scene, Louis Armstrong was played
at the Savoy Ballroom and the Cotton Club
Jazz fans invented new dance steps as the music inspired them, including
the jitterbug and the Lindy Hop (named after Charles Lindbergh)
Jazz fans also came to Harlem to see Bessie Smith, the Empress of the
Blues
As a teenager, Smith sang her own down-home version of the blues in
small cafes throughout the South; by 1923, she signed with Columbia
Records; her first release, Down-Hearted Blues, sold over 2 million copies
Smith would record with all of the top Jazz Age musicians and earn an
incredible $2,000 a week for her performances; together with Louis
Armstrong, she is credited with developing the tradition of jazz singing
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Black Artists
Black painters, sculptors, photographers, and filmmakers contributed to the
creative energy in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s
Artists united by a desire to create art that expressed the history and
experiences of African Americans
Painter Aaron Douglas was among the leading artists of the Harlem
Renaissance

Often called the father of African American art, Douglas first black artist to
experiment with modernism and to use symbols from African art in his
paintings, murals, and illustrations
By contrast, sculptor and art educator Augusta Savage crafted stunningly
realistic symbols of black pride and aspirations
Harlem Renaissance artistsLos Mailou Jones, James VanDerZee, and
William H. Johnson to name a fewcaptured the black experience
Holt African American History Chapter 8

Black Performers
African American performers took part in theatrical productions in
Harlem
1917 an all-black group of actors gained praise for their
performances in a series of one-act plays
1921 production of Shuffle Along; written, performed, and produced
by blacks
Musical brought African American theater to popularity
African American performers got their start in New York theater
Tap dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson starred in vaudevillea sort
of early variety show that combined acting, music, and comedy
Actor Paul Robeson also drew critical acclaim for his dramatic
performances
Holt African American History Chapter 8
The Harlem Renaissance Comes to a Close
A time of great cultural achievement; went beyond New York City
Black writers, musicians, and artists had national, world-wide appeal
Jazz styles popular in Chicago, Paris, and other cities
Writers and poets imitated the styles of Harlem writers
Black and white Americans alike were captivated by the new
styles that originated in Harlem
Historians have noted the spread of the ideas of the Harlem
Renaissance to other parts of the United States
The Harlem Renaissance popular through the 1920s; by the 1930s
period drawing to a close
Leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson
moved away from Harlem
Movement lost some of its steam
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Influence Continues
Another key factor in decline
1929 economic depression
in the U.S.
In the struggled to earn a
living, the artistic movement
slowly declined
Influence remained with writer
Langston Hughes and artist
Aaron Douglas
Many participants from Harlem
still influence the arts today
The Harlem Renaissance
created a unique cultural
movement
Holt African American History Chapter 8
Reading Check
Draw Conclusions

Why might the styles of the Harlem Renaissance

have been so widely popular?
Answer(s):
They were very diverse and attracted a
large number of people.