Name
Date
REVIEW
CALIFORNIA CONTENT
STANDARD 11.10.1
African Americans
Demand Civil Rights
Specific Objective: Understand how demands of African Americans helped produce
a stimulus for civil rights, including President Roosevelt’s ban on racial discrimination
on defense industries in 1941, and how African Americans’ service in World War II
produced a stimulus for President Truman’s decision to end segregation in the armed
forces in 1948.
Read the sequence diagram to answer the questions on the next page.
Building to World War II
Defense industries expanded and needed workers (many men in the armed forces).
African Americans were not hired or were offered low-paying jobs. U.S. armed forces
were segregated and limited African-American opportunities.
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company
Actions by African Americans
African Americans wanted equal access to defense jobs and to military service.
A. Philip Randolph was a leader of the first successful African-American union. He
organized a march for Washington, D.C., in 1941. The suggested slogan was “We
Loyal Colored Americans Demand the Right to Work and Fight for Our Country.”
About 100,000 were expected for the march in the segregated city.
Roosevelt Responds
Roosevelt met with Randolph to request canceling the march. Randolph refused.
Roosevelt persuaded Randolph to cancel the march. In return, the president issued
an executive order banning descrimination in hiring for jobs with federal contracts.
He also established a committee to enforce the order.
African-American Service during World War II
African Americans still faced discrimination in the armed services and defense
jobs, but there was a great improvement from World War I. About 1 million African
Americans served in the armed forces in the war. Many were kept in noncombat
roles, but some were highly decorated for their service. About 2 million AfricanAmerican men and women worked in defense industries. African-American newspapers proposed the Double V campaign during the war. V stood for victory against
fascism in Europe and for victory in the struggle for equality.
Truman Responds
After the war, African Americans pushed for equal opportunities in the military and
jobs. They met with President Truman to make their demands. Truman proposed civil
rights measures but Congress rejected them. Truman used an executive order to
force desegregation of all armed forces in 1948.
CSS Specific Objective 11.10.1: Review 137
Name
Date
PRACTICE
CALIFORNIA CONTENT
STANDARD 11.10.1
African Americans
Demand Civil Rights
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer.
2
How did the U.S. military treat
African Americans before World
War II?
A
It welcomed African-American men
but not African-American women.
B
Which statement about conditions
for African Americans in World War
II is true?
A
It only allowed African Americans
with a college degree to join.
Millions of African Americans served
in the military and worked in defense
industries.
B
C
It was segregated and limited AfricanAmerican opportunities.
African Americans were prevented
from serving in combat.
C
D
It did not allow African Americans to
join.
African Americans moved from cities
to rural areas.
D
African-American newspapers were
prevented from publishing.
What did A. Philip Randolph do to
push for civil rights in 1941?
5
The Double V campaign referred to
A
He was the first African American
appointed to a cabinet position.
A
victory against fascism and for
communism.
B
He organized a march to demand
equal rights for African Americans.
B
victory against fascism and for equal
rights.
C
He threatened President Roosevelt
with court cases over discrimination
in jobs.
C
victory against Germany and Japan.
D
voting rights in federal and state
elections.
D
3
4
He led African Americans in opposing
many New Deal policies.
How did President Franklin
Roosevelt respond to African
American demands for equal rights?
A
He issued an executive order barring
discrimination in jobs with federal
contracts.
B
He responded to African-American
protests by using troops to control
them.
C
He helped African Americans organize
protests that influenced Congress.
D
He refused to meet with AfricanAmerican leaders to discuss their
demands.
138 CSS Specific Objective 11.10.1: Practice
6
Truman used an executive order to
end segregation in the military after
A
African-American leaders threatened
widespread strikes.
B
receiving pressure from Republicans
in Congress.
C
Congress defeated his civil rights
measures.
D
African Americans held a large
protest march.
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company
1