Du Bois and Washington on Woman Suffrage: Part A

This question is based on the accompanying documents (1-8). The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of the documents have been edited for the purposes of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account both the source of each document and any point of view that may be presented in the document.

Historical Context:

Between 1890 and 1915 African-American leaders developed two contrasting attitudes toward woman suffrage. Black men and women who supported woman suffrage did so in the hopes that black women's right to vote would contribute to a larger agenda of race improvement. Similarly, black men and women who did not care about woman suffrage usually believed other causes should be given priority in the larger agenda of racial uplift.

Task:

Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help you write the essay in Part B, in which you will be asked to:

  • Identify and explain reasons why some African Americans participated in the woman suffrage movement.

  • Identify and explain reasons why some African Americans remained distant from the woman suffrage movement.

  • Evaluate both sets of reasons.

Part A: Short-Answer Questions

Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in the space provided.

   


 
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