Student Article
Jim Crow Laws: America’s Era of Racial Segregation
Segregation (noun): The act of keeping people apart based on race, religion, or other factors.
Lynching (noun): A violent killing, often by a mob, usually without a fair trial.
After the American Civil War, the U.S. tried to rebuild the country and give rights to millions of freed African Americans. But things changed quickly. In the South, many white leaders made laws to keep Black people and white people apart. These were called Jim Crow laws.
The origin of the name "Jim Crow"
The term "Jim Crow" came from a racist performance in the 1800s by a white actor in blackface. It became a name for laws that supported unfair treatment of Black people.
Laws that kept Black people from voting
Even though the U.S. Constitution had new amendments — like the 14th and 15th — that were supposed to protect African Americans’ rights, states found ways to get around them. They added rules like poll taxes and reading tests to keep Black people from voting. "Grandfather clauses" let poor white men vote if their ancestors had voted, but this didn't help Black men whose ancestors were enslaved.
Violence used to enforce Jim Crow laws
To enforce these laws, groups like the Ku Klux Klan used threats and violence. Public lynchings became a terrifying symbol of racism.
The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling and segregation
In 1896, A famous court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, said that it was okay to have “separate but equal” facilities for Black and white people.
Everyday life under Jim Crow
Things stayed far from equal. Schools, restaurants, buses, and even water fountains were segregated, with worse conditions for Black people.
African Americans fight back
Despite these horrible conditions, African Americans resisted. The NAACP was founded in 1909 to fight segregation. Heroes like journalist Ida B. Wells spoke out against lynching. People succeeded despite racism — like Jackie Robinson in baseball and Hattie McDaniel, the first Black Oscar winner.
The turning point: Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954, the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in public schools. A year later, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, and the civil rights movement took off. Martin Luther King Jr. helped lead the fight that finally brought an end to Jim Crow laws.
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Segregation (noun): The act of keeping people apart based on race, religion, or other factors.
Lynching (noun): A violent killing, often by a mob, usually without a fair trial.