Caused Southern Democrats to purge African-Americans

Full Answer Section

• • • These tactics were designed to circumvent the 15th Amendment, which granted African-American men the right to vote.

• Describe any of the recommendations Andrew Carnegie proposes to deal with the issue of wealth in his essay “The Gospel of Wealth.”

  • Carnegie advocated for the wealthy to use their fortunes to benefit society. He proposed that:
    • The wealthy should administer their surplus wealth during their lifetimes, rather than leaving it to their heirs.
    • They should focus on philanthropic endeavors that would help people to help themselves, such as building libraries, schools, and hospitals.
    • He was against direct charity, and more for giving the tools to people that allowed them to raise themselves up.

• Name any two progressive era constitutional amendments and explain what they did.

  • 16th Amendment (1913): Authorized Congress to levy a federal income tax. This allowed the government to generate revenue to fund progressive reforms.
  • 17th Amendment (1913): Provided for the direct election of U.S. senators by the people, rather than by state legislatures. This increased the democratic nature of the government.

• BRIEFLY, DESCRIBE THE EXPLOITS OF CHIEF JOSEPH

  • Chief Joseph was the leader of the Nez Perce tribe. In 1877, he led his people on a long and arduous retreat from their ancestral lands in the face of U.S. government pressure to relocate them to a reservation. Despite his efforts and tactical genius, he was eventually forced to surrender, and his people were relocated. His famous surrender speech, "I will fight no more forever," symbolized the tragic fate of many Native American tribes.

• How did the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act change the way the Federal Civil Service was staffed? What event prompted the push for this legislation to be enacted?

  • The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 established a merit-based system for staffing the federal civil service. It created the Civil Service Commission, which administered competitive examinations to applicants. This replaced the "spoils system," in which government jobs were awarded based on political patronage.
  • The assassination of President James A. Garfield by a disgruntled office seeker in 1881 prompted the push for this legislation. This event highlighted the dangers of the spoils system and the need for reform.

Sample Answer

Here are the answers to your history questions:

1. What caused Southern Democrats to purge African-Americans from the voter registration rolls after the early 1890s?

   • Southern Democrats used a combination of tactics to disenfranchise African-American voters. These included:
     • Poll taxes: Requiring voters to pay a fee before they could vote.
     • Literacy tests: Requiring voters to pass difficult tests that were often administered unfairly.
     • Grandfather clauses: Exempting white voters from poll taxes and literacy tests if their grandfathers had been eligible to vote before the Civil War.
     • Intimidation and violence: Using threats and physical violence to discourage African-Americans from voting.