The Interwar Years and the New Deal 1915-1941 · Autumn Term

Consequences of the General Strike (1926)

Students will analyze the long-term consequences of the 1926 General Strike for industrial relations, trade union power, and the political landscape of Britain.

About This Topic

This topic examines the intersection of the labour movement and the struggle for civil rights, focusing on the leadership of A. Philip Randolph. Students investigate the formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and how it became a powerful vehicle for Black political and economic use. The study culminates in the 1941 threat of a March on Washington, which forced President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802, banning discrimination in the defence industries.

For Year 13 students, this is a study in the power of organised labour and the strategy of mass direct action. It connects the economic struggles of the Interwar years to the burgeoning civil rights movement of the 1940s. Students grasp the significance of these events through role-playing the negotiations between Randolph and FDR and by analysing the impact of the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC). This topic highlights how economic pressure could achieve federal concessions that moral appeals alone could not.

Active Learning Ideas

Role Play: The Randolph-Roosevelt Meeting

Students act as A. Philip Randolph and FDR in their 1941 meeting. Randolph must use the threat of 100,000 marchers to demand an end to segregation in the military and defence jobs, while FDR tries to offer smaller concessions to avoid a public protest during the war crisis.

⏱ 45 min·Pairs

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Inquiry Circle: The BSCP as a Catalyst

Groups research how the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters used their network of porters to spread civil rights news and organise communities across the country. They present on why a labour union was such an effective tool for national organising.

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

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Think-Pair-Share: Executive Order 8802

Students read the text of the order and the subsequent reports of the FEPC. They discuss in pairs whether this was a 'Second Emancipation' or a limited wartime measure that lacked real enforcement power.

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

The 1963 March on Washington was the first time such a protest was planned.

What to Teach Instead

A. Philip Randolph's 1941 plan for a march was the original template. Peer discussion of the 1941 threat helps students see the long-term continuity of non-violent direct action strategies.

Common Misconception

Labour unions were always allies of the civil rights movement.

What to Teach Instead

Many white-led unions were fiercely exclusionary and fought to keep Black workers out of skilled trades. Using a station rotation to look at AFL vs. CIO policies helps students understand the internal racial conflicts within the labour movement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was A. Philip Randolph?

A. Philip Randolph was a prominent labour leader and social activist who founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He was a pioneer of the strategy of using mass non-violent protest to pressure the federal government, a tactic that would later become the hallmark of the 1950s and 60s civil rights movement.

What was the significance of Executive Order 8802?

Issued in 1941, it was the first federal action to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States. It created the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) to investigate complaints of discrimination, marking a major shift toward federal responsibility for civil rights.

Why did the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters matter?

As the first successful Black-led labour union, the BSCP provided African Americans with economic power and a national organisational structure. The porters themselves traveled across the country, acting as a vital communication link between different Black communities and spreading the message of the movement.

How can active learning help students understand the role of labour in civil rights?

Active learning, such as role-playing negotiations, helps students understand the concept of 'use'. By simulating the 1941 crisis, students see that civil rights gains were often the result of hard-nosed political bargaining and economic threats, rather than just changes in public opinion. This provides a more realistic view of how social change occurs.

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