The JIM CROW Laws
The Jim Crow Laws were established in 1896, after the reconstruction of the Civil War. They were mainly legalized in the Southern States, although some Northern and Mid-Western states made use of them as well.
Its origins come from a comic which featured the character Jim Crow, who came to symbolize all at the time called „Negros“.
Those laws, which were in force from 1880 until the 1960‘s, legalised segregation, kept Whites and Blacks „Seperate but Equal“: This was the term which the Supreme Court used to describe the laws, but it wasn‘t actually true. The Afro-Americans were treated differently by law and in (close to) all cases to their disadvantages. Even though most laws were the same, there were slight modification in a some states and often the laws were stricter in the South of th U.S., which was well-known to be more hostile towards „colored“ people (a negative phrase used to describe Afro-Americans back then) as the North.
Here are a few examples:
Intermarriage:
Education:
Transportation:
We can see here, that a number of laws were modified from state to state, in some worse than in others, but all making it impossilbe for Afro-Americans to achieve equality.
Public Facilities:
It‘s clearly shown, that the situation was nowhere near seeing Blacks equal to Whites. The listed laws cut Afro-American life off to some extent and caused „black communities“ to form, which means, Blacks became more confident in relying on their own institutions (churches, schools, etc.) and in some way they too preferred to be seperated.
Its origins come from a comic which featured the character Jim Crow, who came to symbolize all at the time called „Negros“.
Those laws, which were in force from 1880 until the 1960‘s, legalised segregation, kept Whites and Blacks „Seperate but Equal“: This was the term which the Supreme Court used to describe the laws, but it wasn‘t actually true. The Afro-Americans were treated differently by law and in (close to) all cases to their disadvantages. Even though most laws were the same, there were slight modification in a some states and often the laws were stricter in the South of th U.S., which was well-known to be more hostile towards „colored“ people (a negative phrase used to describe Afro-Americans back then) as the North.
Here are a few examples:
Intermarriage:
- „All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person and a person of negro descent to the fourth of generation inclusive, are hereby forever prohibited. -FLORIDA
- „ All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person and a person of negro descent to the third of generation inclusive (...) are forever prohibited and shall be void“ -MARYLAND
- „ The marriage of a white person with a negro (...) or person who shall have one-eight or more of negro blood, shall be unlawful and void.“ -MISSISSIPPI
Education:
- „The schools for white children and the schools for negro children shall be conducted seperately.“ -FLORIDA
- „Seperate rooms (shall) be provided for the teaching of pupils of African descent and (when) said rooms are so provide, such pupils may not be admitted to the school rooms occupied and used by pupils of Caucasion or other descent.“ -NEW MEXICO
- „Any instructor who shall teach in any school, college or institution where members of the white and colored race are received and enrolled as pupils for instruction shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense.“ -OKLAHOMA
Transportation:
- „The...Utilities Commission...is empowered and directed to require the establishment of separate waiting rooms at all stations for the white and colored races.“ -NORTH CAROLINA
- „The conductor of each passenger train is authorized and required to assign each passenger to the car or the division of the car, when it is divided by a partition, designated for the race to which such passenger belongs.“ -ALABAMA
We can see here, that a number of laws were modified from state to state, in some worse than in others, but all making it impossilbe for Afro-Americans to achieve equality.
Public Facilities:
- Theaters: „Every person...operating...any public hall, theatre, opera house, motion picture show or any place of public entertainment or public assemblage which is attended by both white and colored persons, shall separate the white race and the colored race and shall set apart and designate...certain seats therein to be occupied by white persons and a portion thereof , or certain seats therein, to be occupied by colored persons.“ -VIRGINIA
- Parks: „It shall be unlawful for colored people to frequent any park owned or maintained by the city for the benefit, use and enjoyment of white persons...and unlawful for any white person to frequent any park owned or maintained by the city for the use and benefit of colored persons.“ - GEORGIA
It‘s clearly shown, that the situation was nowhere near seeing Blacks equal to Whites. The listed laws cut Afro-American life off to some extent and caused „black communities“ to form, which means, Blacks became more confident in relying on their own institutions (churches, schools, etc.) and in some way they too preferred to be seperated.
Sources:
http://www.nps.gov/malu/learn/education/jim_crow_laws.htm
and
Vivienne Sanders; Civil Rights in the USA
http://www.nps.gov/malu/learn/education/jim_crow_laws.htm
and
Vivienne Sanders; Civil Rights in the USA