Voting Patterns of Black Americans (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
Voting Patterns of Black Americans
Historical loyalty to the Republican Party (pre-1933)
Before the New Deal era began in 1933, the Republican Party commanded the overwhelming loyalty of black American voters. This allegiance had deep historical roots stretching back to the Civil War and Reconstruction period.
Key reasons for Republican support:
- Abraham Lincoln's legacy: The Republican Party was the party of President Lincoln, who had issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War and overseen the abolition of slavery in 1865. For black Americans, this created a powerful historical connection to the Republicans
- Reconstruction reforms: Following Lincoln's assassination, Radical Republicans in Congress championed the rights of freed black Americans by creating the Freedmen's Bureau, a federal agency that provided crucial financial assistance and support to formerly enslaved people
- Constitutional amendments: During the Republican presidencies of Andrew Johnson and Ulysses Grant, two transformative constitutional amendments were passed:
- Fourteenth Amendment: guaranteed black Americans equal protection under the law
- Fifteenth Amendment: granted black men the right to vote
- Political participation: During Reconstruction, Republicans actively encouraged black Americans (who predominantly lived in the former Confederacy at this time) to participate in politics for the first time in American history
This historical memory of Republican support for black civil rights created a powerful political allegiance that lasted for several generations. The connection between Lincoln, emancipation, and the Republican Party remained deeply embedded in black American political consciousness well into the 20th century.
First Democrat attempts to win black votes (1928)
The Democrat Party made its first significant effort to attract black voters in 1928 when Al Smith became the party's presidential candidate. Smith was notable for being a northerner from New York and the first Catholic nominated by a major party for president.
Smith's campaign strategy:
- Enlisted support from prominent civil rights leaders, including James Weldon Johnson (executive secretary of the NAACP) and Walter White (assistant executive secretary of the NAACP)
- Walter White even created a 'Smith for President Colored League' to mobilise black support
Results of the 1928 election:
Despite these efforts, Smith lost decisively to Republican Herbert Hoover. However, voting statistics from Chicago (one of the largest northern cities) revealed some encouraging signs for Democrats:
- 1920: 11% of black voters supported Democrats
- 1924: 10% of black voters supported Democrats
- 1928: 27% of black voters supported Democrats
Whilst still a minority, this represented a significant increase and suggested that Democrat appeals could resonate with some black voters, particularly in northern cities. The near-tripling of Democrat support in Chicago between 1924 and 1928 demonstrated that the Republican monopoly on black votes was beginning to weaken.
The beginning of change (1932-1934)
1932 presidential election
Even in the depths of the Great Depression, when economic hardship affected black Americans particularly severely, most black voters continued to support the Republican Party in 1932. The historical bonds remained strong despite the economic crisis.
1934 congressional breakthrough
However, the radical social and economic programmes of the New Deal began to attract black Americans in the north. The first concrete evidence of changing voting patterns appeared in the 1934 congressional elections.
In a symbolic moment, black Democrat Arthur W Mitchell defeated black Republican Oscar De Priest in Chicago to become the first black Democrat ever elected to Congress. This result demonstrated that the New Deal was beginning to reshape black political allegiances.
The 1936 breakthrough
The presidential and congressional elections of 1936 marked a watershed moment in American political history. For the first time, the Democrat Party received the majority of black American votes.
Why did black Americans vote for FDR and the Democrats?
- Economic benefits: The New Deal programmes offered jobs and financial assistance to many poor and unemployed black Americans who had suffered disproportionately during the Depression
- Personal appeal: Many black Americans voted for FDR as a person rather than for the Democrat Party itself, attracted by his leadership and the tangible benefits his policies provided
- Hope for the future: The New Deal represented a transformative approach to government that seemed to offer black Americans a stake in the nation's recovery
The 1936 Turning Point
In Chicago, the Democrat vote among black Americans reached 49% in 1936 - a dramatic increase from both 1928 (27%) and 1932. This pattern was repeated across northern cities.
From 1936 onwards, black Americans consistently voted Democrat in large numbers, establishing a political realignment that would prove permanent.
The Roosevelt Coalition
FDR successfully assembled a broad and diverse Roosevelt Coalition of supporters that made the Democrats the dominant political party in the USA until the 1970s. This coalition was particularly remarkable because it held together groups with very different interests and backgrounds.
Members of the Roosevelt Coalition:
- Irish, German and Italian Americans
- Catholics
- Jews
- Black Americans
- Trade unionists
- Southern white Americans
A paradox within the coalition
The coalition contained an inherent tension - it included both black Americans seeking civil rights and southern white Americans who supported legal racial segregation. FDR managed to maintain this delicate balance throughout his presidency, though this would become increasingly difficult for future Democrat leaders.
Long-term impact:
Whilst the Roosevelt Coalition began to fragment in the 1970s, black American support for the Democrat Party continued strongly into the 21st century, making it one of the most enduring legacies of the New Deal era.
Evidence of permanent change: voting patterns 1936-2004
Two important charts reveal the scale and permanence of this political transformation.
Figure 5.2: Party identification of black American voters (1936-2004)
This chart shows which party black Americans identified with - not just how they voted, but which party they felt represented them. The data reveals:
- From 1936 onwards, Democrat party identification dominated among black voters
- In 1936, approximately 44% identified as Democrats compared to a much smaller Republican percentage
- This Democrat identification strengthened over subsequent decades, reaching 74% by 2004
- Republican identification among black voters declined to minimal levels and never recovered
Figure 5.3: How black Americans voted in presidential elections (1936-2004)
This chart tracks actual voting behaviour in presidential elections and shows:
- 1936 marked the turning point, with 71% voting Democrat
- This pattern proved permanent - Democrat voting percentages remained consistently high
- By the late 20th century, Democrat support among black voters regularly exceeded 80%
- The 2004 election saw 88% of black voters supporting the Democrat candidate
- Republican presidential candidates received only 11% of black votes by 2004
Understanding the Data: A Permanent Political Realignment
These charts demonstrate that 1936 represented a major and permanent change in black American voting patterns.
Key evidence:
- Party identification shifted dramatically: from Republican dominance pre-1936 to 74% Democrat identification by 2004
- Actual voting behaviour confirmed this shift: 71% voted Democrat in 1936, rising to 88% by 2004
- The Republican share declined to just 11% by 2004 - a complete reversal from pre-1933 patterns
The New Deal created a political realignment that lasted for generations, fundamentally altering the relationship between black Americans and the two major political parties.
Key Points to Remember:
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Pre-1933: Black Americans were loyal Republican voters due to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the abolition of slavery (1865), and Reconstruction-era constitutional amendments (14th and 15th) that granted equal protection and voting rights
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1936 was the turning point: For the first time, the majority of black Americans voted Democrat, attracted by FDR's New Deal programmes that offered jobs, assistance and hope during the Depression
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The shift was permanent: From 1936 onwards, black Americans consistently supported the Democrats in large numbers - a pattern that continued into the 21st century, with over 88% voting Democrat by 2004
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The Roosevelt Coalition: FDR built a diverse coalition including black Americans, Catholics, Jews, trade unionists and even southern white segregationists that dominated American politics until the 1970s
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Chicago statistics show the shift: Democrat support among black voters in Chicago rose from just 11% (1920) to 27% (1928) to 49% (1936), illustrating the dramatic realignment caused by the New Deal