Jim Crow

Jim Crow Begins

Disenfranchisement

• White southerners implemented ways around the 15th Amendment to prevent Blacks

from voting

SC - Eight Box Law

• A ballot had to be placed in a corressponding ballot box without assistance 

Mississippi

• Poll tax

• Property qualification

• Black crimes: petty theft, bigamy(cheating on spouse), arson(burning house) could NOT

VOTE

• White crimes: grand larceny, murder, theft, COULD VOTE

Grandfather Clause

• A law that began in Louisiana, which required proof that a person’s father or grandfather

had voted before 1867, was needed in order to vote after Reconstruction (1898)

Jim Crow

• Segregation was not a word that was used to describe racial separation in the late 19th century

• Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice created the Jim Crow character in the early to mid-nineteenth century

  • Based on a song (“Jump Jim Crow”)

  • Rice wore blackface and performed stereotypically

• Whites in the South were not tolerant of the presence of Blacks in public spaces

• Blacks felt comfortable being separate from Whites

• Railroads created the first segregation laws

Plessy vs. Fergunson

A case that challenged the Louisiana rail segregation law

• Homer Plessy was 1⁄8 Black

• Plessy lost the case in the Supreme Court -> ruled 14th Amendment rights were not violated

• Separate but equal became the law

Racial Etiquette

Unwritten rules of social conduct between Blacks and Whites

• Titles of respect did not apply to Black adults (Mr., Mrs., Sir).

Social Darwinism

• Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is entirely focused on an explanation of

life’s biological diversity. It is a scientific theory meant to explain observations about

species.

• Some have used the theory to justify a particular view of human social, political, or

economic conditions.

• Social Darwinist theories generally hold that the powerful in society are innately better

than the weak and that success is proof of their superiority.

Fighting Racism

In the early 30th century (1919), Americans were afraid of a possible Communist takeover.

● Reds = Communists

Palmer Raids - Deported aliens who were allegedly a threat to America.

Xenophobia - fear of foreigners

• America was a xenophobic nation in the 1920s.

Sacco and Vanzetti - Two Sicilian anarchists who were executed for allegedly committing

murder.

Anarchist - A person who does not advocate for organized government, wants to overthrow it.

Scientific Racism 

Based on pseudoscience, false science is presented as legitimate scholarship.

Quotas were placed on immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern and Southern

Europe.

• Asians were banned from immigrating

 The Birth of a Nation

A 1915 film that showed the KKK as heroes and Reconstruction-era Republican governments

as corrupt.

● President Woodrow Wilson said the movie was truthful.

The KKK was renewed after the film was released.

The KKK was at its most powerful in the 1920s

● 5 million members, including a boys'/girls' clubs and a women’s order.

Disenfranchisement

White southerners implemented various strategies to circumvent the 15th Amendment, which was intended to protect African American voting rights, aiming to disenfranchise Black voters.

1. SC - Eight Box Law

   • A ballot had to be placed in a corresponding ballot box without assistance, making it difficult for many Black voters to navigate the process.

2. Mississippi

   • Introduced extra voting restrictions, including:

     • Poll tax: A fee required to be paid before voting, disproportionately affecting poorer Black citizens.

     • Property qualification: Requiring voters to own property, which many Black individuals could not afford.

   • Discriminatory Crime Definition: Specific crimes defined for Black individuals (e.g., petty theft, bigamy, arson) disqualified them from voting, while white individuals could still vote even with serious offenses like grand larceny and murder.

3. Grandfather Clause

   • Originating in Louisiana, this law required individuals to prove that their father or grandfather had voted before 1867 to be eligible to vote, essentially exempting whites from disenfranchisement while continuing to restrict Blacks after Reconstruction (1898).

Jim Crow

Segregation was not commonly used to describe racial separation in the late 19th century. The Jim Crow character was created by Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice in the early to mid-19th century, based on a song named “Jump Jim Crow.” Rice wore blackface, performing in a way that perpetuated stereotypes.

• White southerners exhibited little tolerance for Blacks in public spaces, enforcing strict social codes.

• Conversely, Blacks began to find comfort in their own separate communities, establishing a sense of identity apart from whites.

• Railroads initiated the first laws enforcing segregation policies, leading to systemic discrimination.

Plessy vs. Ferguson

This landmark case challenged the Louisiana rail segregation law. Homer Plessy, who had mixed racial heritage (1⁄8 Black), was arrested for sitting in a whites-only section. The Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, asserting that his 14th Amendment rights had not been violated, therefore establishing the doctrine of "separate but equal" as lawful.

Racial Etiquette

Unwritten rules defined social behavior between Blacks and Whites, significantly impacting daily interactions.

• For instance, titles of respect such as Mr., Mrs., and Sir were often not afforded to Black adults, maintaining a hierarchical social structure.

Social Darwinism

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection principally addresses biological diversity, but has been misappropriated to justify social, political, and economic inequalities. Social Darwinist ideology posits that the affluent are inherently superior to weaker members of society, using success as a flawed metric of superiority.

Fighting Racism

In the early 20th century (1919), a pervasive fear of a Communist takeover led to heightened xenophobia in America, where:

• The term "Reds" referred to Communists amid a climate of suspicion.

• The Palmer Raids resulted in the deportation of those deemed a threat to national security, further deepening anti-foreigner sentiments.

• The case of Sacco and Vanzetti involved two Sicilian anarchists executed for suspected murder, reflecting the intense scrutiny faced by immigrants.

Scientific Racism

This term describes the pseudoscientific approach that falsely legitimized racial hierarchies, leading to policies that placed quotas on immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern, and Southern Europe, while outright banning immigration from Asia.

The Birth of a Nation

Released in 1915, this film portrayed the Ku Klux Klan as heroic figures and depicted the Reconstruction-era Republican governments as corrupt and ineffective. President Woodrow Wilson notably endorsed the film, declaring it truthful.

• The film's popularity contributed to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, which reached its peak in the 1920s with approximately 5 million members, including affiliated groups like boys' and girls' clubs and a women's order.