This thesis deals with the reasons behind the Blacks’ shift of commitment from the Republican to the Democratic Party during the New Deal period and its legacy. This recurrent phenomenon comes to the fore with every American presidential election since the first election of Roosevelt in 1932. By the coming of the New Deal they shifted their traditional electoral support to the Democratic Party. In addition, this research probes the motives behind this allegiance by examining Blacks’ political, social and economic situation and its effect on the political arena. The electoral powerlessness of Blacks in the 1896-1930 period was as much the product of party affiliation as it was the result of disfranchisement. A concrete reconsideration of this process began to happen in the 1930s, when the Roosevelt administration and the New Deal made circumstances favorable. The Black shift of allegiance is interpreted in different ways: First, in relation to Black protest movements and maturation of political consciousness by the beginning of the 20th century up until the New Deal. Second, in relation to Black labor struggle and interracial issues. Third, through the achievements of Roosevelt’s relief policies and the inclusion of Black intellectuals as members within the federal government. The Blacks’ outpouring support for Roosevelt in 1936 cannot be explained solely by Roosevelt’s initiatives on civil rights over the first New Deal. The strategic importance of Black voters in the North was converted into more federal patronage and awareness. The insistence on economic recovery combined with a sense of inclusion, was the centerpiece of the Democratic appeal to Blacks in the 1936 elections. Finally, the study concludes with an assessment of the shift and its legacy. The electoral strength of this minority increased dramatically between 1940 and 1960 making of Blacks an important constituency for the Democratic Party and changing the scene of American politics. Indeed, the black vote was indispensable to Democratic success signifying a substantial Black sustaining for a Democratic presidential ticket from 1936 to 1960 and eventually forming a decisive majority from 1964 to the present.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter I: The Situation of Blacks before 1932
1- The Rise of Political Consciousness
2- Black Political Organizations and the 1928 Election
3- The 1932 Election.
Chapter II: The Legacy of the First Deal
1- A Raw Deal for Blacks
2- Blacks and Labor Unions
3- Blacks as an Interest Group
Chapter III: The 1936 Election and the New Trend
1- The 1936 Election and its Aftermath
2- Why Blacks Turned to Democrats
3- The Effect of Black Shift on the National Scene
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the fundamental political shift of Black American voters from their traditional allegiance to the Republican Party toward the Democratic Party during the New Deal era. It investigates the socio-economic and political motivations for this transformation and analyzes how this realignment became a permanent feature of American political life.
- The influence of the Great Depression on Black political consciousness and economic status.
- The impact of Roosevelt’s New Deal policies on Black electoral behavior and party affiliation.
- The role of Black activists, intellectuals, and labor movements in negotiating political recognition.
- The strategic importance of the Black vote in Northern urban centers during presidential elections.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter I: The Situation of Blacks before 1932
The political realignment of Black voters with the Democratic Party gradually accelerated in the early 20th century pushed by demographic shifts and Black discontent with the increasingly conservative racial policies of the Republican Party in the South. The Black voting upheavals of disfranchisement following Reconstruction combined with the great migration of Southern rural Blacks to cities South and North, in addition to the activism of many leaders in the field of civil rights had a profound effect on the Blacks’ shift to Democrats. By the end of this era, the major parties’ policies and a re-emergent activism among younger African Americans positioned Blacks for a mass movement in the early and mid-1930s to the Northern Democratic Party.
The 1932 election was not the starting line of Black drifting toward the Democrats. As early as 1924 prominent Black leaders started effectively deserting the Republican Party and the trend continued until the 1928 election. The alienation of Black Republicans did not occur abruptly during the 1930s. The political experience of Blacks in Northern states between World War I and the New Deal showed to which extent the dissatisfaction of Blacks with the Republican patronage and their policies occurred especially when the depression intensified their sufferings (Giffin, African Americans 226). Meanwhile Republican governments could not meet the Blacks’ needs; Democratic political machines welcomed Black leaders who were looking for alternatives.
When in the South Blacks were living in permanent circumstances of disfranchisement, intimidation and violence, the Southern States, on the one hand, relegated the African American to his proper initial political and social sphere by adopting Jim Crow laws. On the other hand, and as a matter of fact, African Americans could not vote for Republicans even if any campaigned in the solidly Democratic white South. Protest was met with the draconian state of repression or terror - lynching was the most frequent of techniques.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the framework for understanding the dramatic shift of Black voters from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party during the 1930s and introduces the key research questions.
Chapter I: The Situation of Blacks before 1932: Analyzes the historical context, the rise of political consciousness among Blacks, and the factors leading to the gradual disillusionment with the Republican Party.
Chapter II: The Legacy of the First Deal: Examines the impact of the New Deal's relief programs, the struggles of Black labor unions, and the emergence of Blacks as a distinct political interest group.
Chapter III: The 1936 Election and the New Trend: Details the pivotal 1936 election, the consolidation of the Black vote within the Democratic coalition, and the long-term impact on the national political scene.
Keywords
Black Americans, New Deal, Roosevelt Coalition, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Civil Rights Movement, Great Depression, Black Labor Unions, Political Realignment, Great Migration, Jim Crow, Disfranchisement, Political Consciousness, NAACP, Urban Politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
This thesis explores the reasons behind the dramatic shift in Black American political allegiance from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party during the New Deal era of the 1930s.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The research covers themes such as political realignment, the socio-economic impact of the Great Depression on Black communities, the role of Black activism, and the evolving relationship between African Americans and federal government policies.
What is the overarching research goal?
The study aims to understand how the New Deal administration and the socio-political conditions of the 1930s transformed the Black electorate into a core constituency for the Democratic Party.
Which scientific method does the author employ?
The author uses historical reconstruction and analysis of primary sources, statistical data, and case studies to examine political trends and voting behavior chronologically.
What is the focus of the main body of the text?
The main body details the historical background prior to 1932, the implementation and legacy of the New Deal, and the electoral shift that occurred during the 1936 presidential election.
How would you characterize the work's keywords?
The work is defined by terms relating to political science, American history, civil rights, and socio-economic dynamics, such as "Black realignment," "New Deal," and "political interest group."
How did the Great Migration contribute to the political shift?
The movement of Blacks from the rural South to Northern urban centers concentrated the population in areas where they could exercise their right to vote, making them a significant, identifiable political force.
Why was the 1936 election a turning point?
It marked the first time that a Democratic candidate made a serious, concerted bid for the Black vote, and it established a long-term electoral alliance between African Americans and the Democratic Party.
What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play in this realignment?
Eleanor Roosevelt served as a key advocate for Black civil rights within the administration, helping to bridge the gap between Black leaders and the President and providing a moral impetus for the inclusion of Black citizens.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Abdelkrim Dekhakhena (Autor:in), 2010, Blacks in the New Deal. The Shift from an Electoral Tradition and its Legacy, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/276294
