NAACP


The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 
was founded in 1909.  A movement began in 1905 when a group of 
African-Americans met to address the efforts of post-Civil War 
southern legislators to take away the rights of “people of 
color” to vote.  The group met on the Canadian side of Niagara 
Falls because US hotels were segregated, and become known as 
the Niagara Movement.  The NAACP was initially founded as a 
separate group but influenced by the Niagara group, many of 
whom joined the NAACP when their group disbanded.  The Race 
Riot of 1908 in Springfield, Illinois was said to be a major 
catalyst that resulted in the formation of the NAACP.  Incor-
porated in 1911, the organization’s charter stated:

	“To promote equality of rights and to eradicate 
	caste or race prejudice among the citizens of the 	
	United States; to advance the interest of colored 
	citizens; to secure for them impartial suffrage; 	
	and to increase their opportunities for securing 
	justice in the courts, education for the children, 	
	employment according to their ability and complete 
	equality before law.”

Some other cultural events of the period:

	The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (1891)
	Tess of the D'Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy (1891)
	Ellis Island opens to receive immigrants (1892)

	   SEE Ellis Island VIDEO 
 	
	Pledge of Allegiance was first recited in unison by 
		students in US public schools (1892)
	A tailors' strike in New York City brings attention
		to sweat shops (1894)
	The Time Machine – H.G. Wells (1895)
	Klondike gold rush begins (1896)
 
	   SEE Goldrush VIDEO     
 	
	Spanish-American War (1898)
	At Koster and Bial's Music Hall in New York, public 
		sees its first movie (1896)
	"The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin (1902)
	“Futurism” founded in Italy (1909)
	Boy Scouts founded (1910)