Jim Crow Laws:
In 1863, slavery in the U.S was made illegal. Black slaves were hopeful as to what the future brought. But that hope only lasted until these 'Jim Crow' laws were established.
These laws were established at state level that slowed down emancipation, and made the black people workers for the white colonials.
These laws were established at state level that slowed down emancipation, and made the black people workers for the white colonials.
The term 'Jim Crow' originates from a song that a slave sang. The song, "Jump Jim Crow" was heard by the white actor Thomas Dartmouth Rice in the 1830's, who then created a character from that song. His act included him wearing a black mask and perform jokes in the stereotype of a slave. His act was a major hit, enabling him to tour the U.S and Great Britain.
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Above: Depiction of Jim Crow.
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The rule for these Jim Crow laws was "separate, but equal". This "meant" that even though blacks and whites were separated, they were given an equal share. White colonials really pushed this rule to the edge by increasing the quality of services for the whites, while lowering the quality for the blacks.
Above: Clear representation of the unfairness of 'Jim Crow' laws.
Plessy Vs Ferguson:
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This court case was the start of the Jim Crow laws. The plaintiff, Homer Plessy, filed a petition against the judge in the trial, Hon. John H. Ferguson, for unfairly judging him based on the Fourteenth Amendment, which says that whatever color you are, you have equal rights. The court said that the equality only extended as far as political and civil rights, and not social rights.
Above: Homer Plessy, who is one-eighth black.
This controversial case, essentially, gave the "constitutional nod" for public segregation in all of the U.S. Even though the facilities of the black people were inferior to the white people, the "separate but equal" rule was upheld.
The black people saw these laws as unfair and felt like they were still slaves for the white people. Whites however, thought that this rule was necessary to keep the harmony between black and white.