13.10 how significant were the 1883 supreme court decisions for civil rights?

who was Jim Crow?

• ‘Jim Crow’ refers to repressive laws and customs once used to restrict black rights

• fictional ‘Jim Crow’, a caricature of a clumsy, dim-witted black slave

• as the show’s popularity spread, ‘Jim Crow’ became a widely used derogatory term for African Americans

what does ‘de jure’ mean?

by law

what were the black codes

laws designed to segregate black and white americans

role of supreme court

• includes local and regional courts

• has final say

• appointed by presidents approved by senate

• 80 cases per term

• majority vote

facts of US vs Stanley; US vs Nichols

• applicants indicted ‘for denying to persons of colour the accommodations and privileges of an inn or hotel

facts of US vs Ryan; US vs Singleton

• applicants discriminated against ‘non-whites’ for denying to individuals the privileges and accommodations of a theatre’

• information filed against Ryan for refusing admission to the dress circle at Maguire’s theatre, San Francisco, to a black person

• ‘denying to another person, colour not stated, enjoyment of accommodation’

facts of Robinson & wife vs Memphis & Charleston Railroad Company

• they brought an action against Memphis & Charleston Railroad company, Tennessee to obtain the payment of $500 penalty charge for discrimination

• Robinson was white, wife was black, wife denied entry to ladies car as she was ‘a person of African descent’

civil rights cases of 1883 in the supreme court: prosecution case

• Civil Rights Act 1875

• 10th amendment

• 13th amendment

• 14th amendment

civil rights cases of 1883 in the supreme court: legal arguments in defence

• several defendants who allegedly discriminated against non whites challenged the Civil Rights Act 1875

• they believed that the 14th amendment did not grant congress the right to regulate private individuals, companies or organisations

civil rights cases of 1883 in the supreme court: decision

• charged them under the 13th and 14th amendment for racial discrimination

• Robinson lost appeal to recover $500 from Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company

• declared that the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was unconstitutional

summarise what John Marshall Harlan said

the purpose of the 1875 Civil Rights Act was to prevent race discrimination. Congress has acknowledged this but is not doing anything to enforce it