To what extent was the lack of support from Presidents and Congress the main reason why little progress was made in the development of African-American rights between 1896 and 1941?

In 1896, politicians were still a direct way in which African-Americans could use to gain higher levels of civil rights in the United States of America. It is arguable therefore that the support from Presidents and Congress over the time period of 1896 to 1941 was crucial to progress and the development of African American rights. However whether there was a lack of support which caused “little progress” or other factors such as deep racist attitudes in the south which were the cause of no development between 1896 and 1941.

The Presidents can be seen as a main reason for little progress being made with African American rights between 1896 and 1941. Firstly there is the Booker T Washington case. President Theodore Roosevelt paid very little attention to the growing African-American concerns. He did however make consultations with Booker T. Washington in 1901, but, these were very empty gestures as they produced no significant action on rights for african americans. Much of the general public was disgusted that the President had met with Booker T. Washington and this is much evidence of a strong racist under current which undermined much of all that happened in the USA, despite this Congressmen and Presidents did to try and help rights for blacks. Another example of were Presidents have hindered rather than helped the African American movement is Woodrow Wilson. President Woodrow Wilson was an open racist; he made this clear by segregating the civil service workers, he praised the “work” of the Ku Klux Klan during the period of reconstruction. The same racist attitudes can be seen with President Herbert Hoover who wanted to purge the Republican Party of blacks in order to capture