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54-561: The ~20 car red and white train toured the width and breadth of Canada. Fifteen of the cars had been used for the similar American Freedom Train in the United States from 1975–1976, before being bought by National Museums of Canada. The showcase cars from the Freedom Train were converted to tunnel cars. To make such a train a reality took the cooperation of many organizations. The Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railroads handled

108-765: A different region of the country. Due to light rail loadings and track conditions on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad , diesels hauled the American Freedom Train from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama . Diesels were also required in Chicago after the steam locomotive derailed attempting to negotiate tracks by the Chicago lakefront. The train itself consisted of 10 display cars, converted from New York Central and Penn Central baggage cars. They carried more than 500 treasures of Americana, including George Washington 's copy of

162-512: A letter stating that the planned march was a “grave mistake”, but to no reply from Randolph. Other members of the Roosevelt administration urged defense industry factories to stop discrimination against Black workers, but Randolph stated that he would only call off the march if an executive order was issued. Anxious to stop the march, Roosevelt enlisted the help of New Dealer Aubrey Williams and labor expert Anna M. Rosenberg . They helped organize

216-542: A meeting of the leaders of the MOWM with Roosevelt at the White House. The meeting held on June 18 (just two weeks prior to the planned march) quickly came to an impasse. In response to Randolph's demand for an executive order, Roosevelt replied: “Well Phil, you know I can’t do that. If I issue an executive order for you, then there'll be no end to other groups coming in here and asking me to issue executive orders for them too.” On

270-502: A promise of desegregation during the train's visit. In Birmingham, Alabama , protest from public safety commissioner Bull Connor insisted that black and white people would wait for the train in separate lines and take turns entering. The idea behind the "Birmingham Plan" was that whites and blacks would technically be on board the train at the same time, without having to encounter each other directly. Under pressure, Connors and his colleague James E. Morgan stated: Our segregation law

324-527: A public address system and to a 'move faster' exhortation by a suave Marine voice which came through the speaker every time a record changed." The Freedom Train even had an official song, written by Irving Berlin and performed by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters . The train's first public display stop occurred in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on September 17, 1947. From there, the train traveled in

378-913: A route that took it up to New England , down the Atlantic coast to Florida , across the nation's southern states to California , up the Pacific coast to Washington , then across the northern states to Minnesota . After touring the perimeter of the nation, the train moved inland from Minnesota to Colorado then Kansas and Missouri , north to Wisconsin , then south to the Ohio River valley, north again to Michigan and finally east to New Jersey . The train's official tour end occurred on January 22, 1949 in Washington, D.C. , nearly three months after its last public display October 26, 1948, in Havre de Grace, Maryland . A notable stop on

432-469: A survey carried out by the US employment service (USES) stated that they would not want to hire Black workers. Employment disparities could not be fully explained by differences in job competencies between Black and White individuals. The president of North American Aviation stated that “it is against company policy to employ them as aircraft workers or mechanics... regardless of their training.” Lester Granger of

486-580: A two-page section titled "No Premium Fares on Freedom Train—But Actually Some Citizens Still Ride Second Class", detailing persistent discrimination and violence against Black Americans. These and other rumblings were described by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover as "Negro Communist" agitation. A second freedom train, the American Freedom Train , toured the country in 1975–76 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial . The 26-car train

540-501: Is an affirmative declaration of our faith in ourselves." The Train displayed exhibits such as "Good Citizen", which portrayed men wearing suits Exhibits also defined American freedoms in terms of consumerism and boasted of superior commodity production. For women (more often referred to as "girls" or "sisters"), good citizenship was defined in terms of clothing, participation in certain acceptable community activities, and raising children. An ALCO PA diesel-electric locomotive pulled

594-481: Is for the protection of the white and black races in the city, and for the prevention of disorders. . . . It is not a mantle to be set aside at the instance of this or that visitor to the city. If those in charge of the Freedom Train should see fit to bring it to Birmingham, they will be welcomed cordially, but cannot expect that either they or visitors to the Freedom Train will be exempt from our laws. Under pressure and threat of boycott by various organizations including

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648-540: Is the duty of employers and of labor organizations, in furtherance of said policy and of this Order, to provide for the full and equitable participation of all workers in defense industries, without discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin; At the time that the order was issued, the US had yet to officially enter World War II , and it would not until after the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. However,

702-679: Is the policy of the United States to encourage full participation in the national defense program by all citizens of the United States, regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin, in the firm belief that the democratic way of life within the Nation can be defended successfully only with the help and support of all groups within its borders; and Whereas there is evidence that available and needed workers have been barred from employment in industries engaged in defense production solely because of consideration of race, creed, color, or national origin, to

756-688: The Constitution , the original Louisiana Purchase , Judy Garland 's dress from The Wizard of Oz , Joe Frazier 's boxing trunks, Martin Luther King Jr. 's pulpit and robes, replicas of Jesse Owens 's four Olympic gold medals from 1936 (one of which was stolen somewhere along the way), a pair of Wilt Chamberlain 's basketball shoes, and a rock from the Moon . The train also consisted of two showcase cars, converted from NYC and PC baggage cars, #40 and #41. They had large showcase windows on either side, which

810-562: The Double V campaign – Randolph demanded the right for Black Americans “to work and fight for [their] country”. In January 1941, Randolph formed the March on Washington Movement (MOWM) . The first objective of the movement was to bring 10,000 Black Americans to gather at the Lincoln Memorial to protest racial discrimination in the military and defense industries. Later, the target size of the march

864-573: The Midwest , the tour continued westward, zigzagging across the plains to Utah and then up to the Pacific Northwest . From Seattle, Washington , the tour then traveled south along the Pacific coast to Southern California . The train and crew spent Christmas 1975 in Pomona, California , decorating #4449 with a large profile of Santa Claus on the front of the smokebox above the front coupler. For 1976,

918-626: The NAACP , the American Heritage Foundation also canceled the Freedom Train's appearance in Birmingham. The episode was somewhat embarrassing for collaborationist local black leaders Ernest Taggart and I. J. Israel, who defended their support of the segregated Freedom Train visit in the spirit of compromise. Public critique of the Train continued during the tour. The Sunday Oregonian published

972-463: The National Urban League described how Black electricians, carpenters, and cement workers were prohibited from filling vacant positions. A. Philip Randolph , leader of a large Black railroad worker union, was concerned by the discrimination against Black workers in defense industry hiring. In a 1940 issue of The Pittsburgh Courier – a newspaper that would later be intimately involved in

1026-464: The 48 contiguous states, stopping to visitors and displaying Americana and related historical artifacts. There are plans to run a Freedom Train again in 2026. The 1940s Freedom Train exhibit was integrated—black and white viewers were allowed to mingle freely. When town officials in Birmingham, Alabama , and Memphis, Tennessee , refused to allow blacks and whites to see the exhibits at the same time,

1080-576: The Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC). While it ensured African Americans could receive fair employment, it often failed to provide the same protections to Mexican Americans because of America's foreign policy in regard to Latin American nations. For example, the FEPC was supposed to hold public hearings to discuss accusations of discrimination, however it often canceled the hearings at

1134-670: The Foundation. The National Archives supplied the train with key documents, while, as archivist Elizabeth Hamer noted in August 1947, "Hollywood, chiefly, is putting up the capital for this exhibit." The Foundation rejected the list of documents proposed by the National Archives, which included documents such as Executive Order 8802 . Contrary to the wishes of the Justice Department, the Foundation excluded collective bargaining from

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1188-463: The Freedom Train as "a campaign to sell America to Americans". The Advertising Council planned an assortment of other events to accompany the Train, including messages in radio programs, comic books, and films. In each city where the train stopped, they organized a "Rededication Week" for public celebrations of the United States. In February 1947, the group formed the "American Heritage Foundation" and named Brophy its president. The Board of Trustees for

1242-550: The Freedom Train only during separate visiting hours. (Pleasants acted with the support of Boss Edward H. Crump , the most influential figure in Memphis politics during the former half of the twentieth century.) When Freedom Train organizers then canceled the train's planned stop in Memphis, Mayor Pleasants responded that segregated viewing hours were necessary to avert "race trouble" that would inevitably result from interracial "jostling and pushing". To Freedom Train stops in other cities,

1296-698: The Freedom Train passing through the segregated southern states, where black and white passengers rode in separate cars. The poem was famously recorded by Paul Robeson . Facing a public relations backlash and seeking to brand the Western Bloc as more free than its counterpart, the Truman administration announced in September 1947 a policy of desegregation for the train, scheduled to depart only two weeks later. Mayor James J. Pleasants Jr. , of Memphis, Tennessee announced that black and white people would be allowed to visit

1350-624: The Freedom Train skipped the planned visits, amid significant controversy. The first Freedom Train was proposed in April 1946 by Attorney General Tom C. Clark , who believed that Americans had begun taking the principles of liberty for granted in the post-war years. The idea was adopted by a coalition that included Paramount Pictures and the Advertising Council , which had just changed its name from "War Advertising Council". Thomas D'Arcy Brophy (of advertising firm Kenyon & Eckhardt) described

1404-529: The Freedom Train succeeded, especially through the local rallies and media messages which accompanied it. This multifaceted project thus became a model for future efforts in the Cold War. The announcement of the Freedom Train plan on May 22, 1947, provoked spirited commentary on the state of Freedom in Black America. Black American poet Langston Hughes wrote a critical poem, "Freedom Train", in which he described

1458-492: The Roosevelt administration feared could impede the war effort by lowering morale. Indeed, some government officials considered this ethnic discrimination as more pressing than that against Black Americans. Mexican Americans faced discrimination in the workplace and public transportation, often being seen as no better than dogs. Executive Order 8802 outlawed discrimination in the defense industry based on “race, creed, color, or national origin”. Executive Order 8802, established

1512-636: The US had already involved itself in the war effort through other means, such as by supplying the Allied Powers through the Lend-Lease Act. The US's role as a supplier, as well as the US's mounting preparations to officially enter the War, helped drive the US's economy out of the Great Depression . The economic benefits of the war, however, were disproportionately experienced by White Americans. Indeed, while

1566-541: The United States. It represented the first executive civil rights directive since Reconstruction . The President's statement that accompanied the order cited the war effort, saying that "the democratic way of life within the nation can be defended successfully only with the help and support of all groups," and cited reports of discrimination: There is evidence available that needed workers have been barred from industries engaged in defense production solely because of considerations of race, creed, color or national origin, to

1620-603: The Washington Times-Herald : "... we understand a committee headed by Winthrop Alrich, son-in-law of John D. Rockefeller Jr. , is launching the campaign. Their wayward historical bus is scheduled to depart with great huzzahs from the White House ;... Hold on to your hats, boys, you're going for another ride and remember to keep the moths out of that uniform." In the view of the Advertising Council,

1674-400: The detriment of workers' morale and of national unity. The order was issued in response to pressure from civil rights activists A. Philip Randolph , Walter White and others involved in the March on Washington Movement , who had planned a march on Washington, D.C. , on July 1, 1941, to protest racial discrimination in industry and the military. The preamble to the order read: Whereas it

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1728-537: The detriment of workers' morale and of national unity: Now, Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes, and as a prerequisite to the successful conduct of our national defense production effort, I do hereby reaffirm the policy of the United States that there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin, and I do hereby declare that it

1782-916: The exhibits can be seen day and night. They carried a model of the Baltimore and Ohio "Arabian" steam locomotive, the Friendship Fire Engine from George Washington's fire company, a 1904 Oldsmobile Runabout , a lunar rover , a map of the train's journey, and the Freedom Bell . The train's tour of all across 48 contiguous states lasted from April 1, 1975, until December 31, 1976. More than 7 million Americans visited during its tour, while millions more stood trackside to see it go by. The tour began in Wilmington, Delaware , and headed northeast to New England, west through Pennsylvania , Ohio to Michigan , then around Lake Michigan to Illinois and Wisconsin. From

1836-585: The last minute when a case involving accusations by Mexican Americans was on the docket, fearing public knowledge of mass discrimination would compromise the Good Neighbor Policy. Moreover, though workplace discrimination took place in the Bracero Program as well, concerns were ignored for similar reasons. Second generation Mexican Americans had a reputation for being more vocal in addressing workplace grievances and were more receptive to unionization as

1890-561: The list of citizens' rights. In the final roster, the only document pertaining to black history was the Emancipation Proclamation —and even in this case, accompanying commentary focused on the white president Abraham Lincoln who issued the document. The Train also displayed a letter from Christopher Columbus , the Mayflower Compact , and documents of German and Japanese surrender from World War II. While preparing for

1944-418: The mayor's office sent undercover agents, who reported that, first, some other southern cities had enforced segregation during viewing, and furthermore, that white patrons of the Freedom Train elsewhere had disliked the presence of Black Americans. In Montgomery, Alabama , agitation by Edgar Nixon and Rosa Parks resulted in the appointment of black members to the local Freedom Train planning committee and

1998-664: The new foundation included: The Board of Trustees did not include any African-Americans until after the train had launched. Walter White , Lester Granger , and A. Philip Randolph were proposed and rejected as candidates for membership. Frederick D. Patterson , president of Tuskegee Institute and founder of the United Negro College Fund was named as a trustee in October 1947. American Federation of Labor President William Green and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Philip Murray were vice presidents of

2052-422: The other hand, the MOWM leaders refused to settle for any action short of an executive order. Eventually, the Roosevelt administration acquiesced. A series of meetings in both New York and Washington resulted in the draft order. These meetings involved Randolph and White discussing with Williams, Rosenberg , and New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia . The order was drafted by Joseph Rauh . The March on Washington

2106-501: The tour continued from southern California eastward through Arizona , New Mexico and Texas , then turned north to visit Kansas and Missouri before traveling through the Gulf Coast states and then north again to Pennsylvania. The tour continued southeast to New Jersey then south along the Atlantic coast before finally ending December 26, 1976, in Miami, Florida . The last visitor went through

2160-459: The tour, the planners decided to downplay comparisons of the United States with Nazis, as well as direct calls for foreign intervention. Instead they sought to focus on crafting a shared ideology for Americans. Clark wrote, "Indoctrination in democracy is the essential catalytic agent needed to blend our various groups into one American family. Without it, we could not sustain the continuity of our way of life. In its largest sense, preaching Americanism

2214-460: The train and its famous documents. The Marine contingent was led by Col. Robert F. Scott. According to attendees Mark and Mary Ellen Murphy: "With polite and firm prodding the Marines hurried through as many as 1200 persons an hour, giving each an average of three seconds to look at each exhibit. As they shuffled through the beige-and-green cars, they listened to regional and patriotic music played over

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2268-629: The train free of charge. The Royal Bank of Canada , Labatt Breweries , General Motors of Canada , and the Great-West Life Assurance Company each donated C$ 400,000. Gifts totalling C$ 684,500 also came from The Devonian Group, The Richard Ivey Foundation, and the MacDonald Stewart Foundation. There was also a C$ 100,000 anonymous gift. Richard Williams Studios made an advert film for the train. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians rediscovered their country as they toured

2322-497: The train on December 31, 1976. By the time the tour ended, the American Freedom Train had traveled 25,833 miles (40,858 kilometers) over 21 months, and stopped at 138 cities. In early 1977, National Museums of Canada bought 15 of the cars and used them from 1978 to 1980 on a rail tour across Canada as the Discovery Train , a mobile museum focusing on that country's history. Executive Order 8802 Executive Order 8802

2376-573: The train on its three-year journey. This article related to a museum in Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Freedom Train Two national Freedom Trains have toured the United States : the 1947–49 special exhibit Freedom Train and the 1975–76 American Freedom Train which celebrated the United States Bicentennial . Each train had its own special red, white and blue paint scheme and its own itinerary and route across

2430-476: The train's itinerary was its appearance at the Chicago Railroad Fair from July 5 – 9, 1948. The American Heritage Foundation gave licenses to some vendors to sell Freedom Train gear such as books and postcards, while barring unauthorized merchants from selling other Freedom paraphernalia. The white press favored the train with mostly positive coverage. One exception was John O'Donnell, who commented in

2484-615: The train, which carried the original versions of the United States Constitution , Declaration of Independence , Truman Doctrine , and the Bill of Rights on its tour of more than 300 cities in all 48 states. As Alaska and Hawaii did not gain statehood until 1959, this train toured all of the U.S. states that existed at the time. It was the first train to visit all 48 contiguous states (the 1936 Rexall Train had come close, but missed Nevada). Top Marines were selected to attend to

2538-493: The unemployment rate among White Americans plummeted from 18% to 13% in between April and October 1940, the unemployment rate for Black Americans remained stagnant at 22%. In an era where segregation was still legal (the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education deeming segregation unconstitutional would not be issued until 1954), Black workers were prohibited from working despite acute labor shortages. Indeed, less than half of defense industry companies included in

2592-474: Was also supposed to make recommendations to federal agencies and to the President on how Executive Order 8802 could be made most effective. However, the FEPC was limited by its small size and limited funding, as its initial staff consisted of 11 with a budget of $ 80,000. More details on challenges faced by the FEPC are explored in its dedicated Misplaced Pages article (refer to section "See Also"). Executive Order 8802

2646-469: Was amended several times during the war years. After the US entered the war, the FEPC was placed under the War Production Board , established under Executive Order 9040. In May 1943, Executive Order 9346 was issued, expanding the coverage of the FEPC to federal agencies carrying out regular government programs and returning it to independent status. Following the end of World War II, the committee

2700-500: Was an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1941. It prohibited ethnic or racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry, including in companies, unions, and federal agencies. It also set up the Fair Employment Practice Committee . Executive Order 8802 was the first federal action, though not a law, to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in

2754-567: Was increased ten-fold to a march of 100,000 Black Americans. Other Black leaders of the MOWM included secretary of the NAACP Walter White , leader of the National Urban League T. Arnold Hill, the leader of the National Council of Negro Women Mary McLeod Bethune , and more. With the stated date for the MOWM impending, the Roosevelt administration rushed to negotiate with the MOWM's leaders. First-lady Eleanor Roosevelt sent Randolph

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2808-511: Was powered by 3 newly restored steam locomotives. The first to pull the train was the former Reading Company T-1 class 4-8-4 # 2101 . The second was the former Southern Pacific # 4449 , a 4-8-4 steam locomotive which pulled the train through the Western region . The third was the former Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 # 610 , which pulled the train in Texas. Each locomotive pulled the train throughout

2862-565: Was suspended after Executive Order 8802 was issued on June 25, 1941. The order established the President's Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) within the Office of Production Management , which was to centralize government contracting in the defense buildup before the United States entered World War II . The FEPC was to educate industry as to anti-discrimination requirements, investigate alleged violations, and "take appropriate steps to redress grievances which it finds to be valid." The committee

2916-534: Was terminated by statute on July 17, 1945. While Executive Order 8802 addressed discrimination in defense industry hiring, the government did not end segregation in the armed forces until 1948, when President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 . Years later congressional passage of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Executive Order 11246 in 1965 prohibited discrimination in employment and public facilities. Many citizens of Italian or German ethnicity were negatively affected by World War II , which

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