...children. The parents of these children wished it to be brought before the courts that “separate but equal” was not fair. In the South though, Plessy v. Ferguson, “separate but equal” and Jim Crow laws reigned, they had a tough battle ahead.Leading up to Brown v. Board of EducationThe Jim Crow Laws were enacted in mostly the Southern and some of the border states of the United States and enforced between 1876 and 1965, slightly less than a hundred years (wikipedia). These laws mandated "separate but equal" status for black Americans. “In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were almost always inferior to those provided to white Americans. The most important laws required that public schools, public places and public transportation, like trains and buses, have separate facilities for whites and blacks” (wikipedia). In the Progressive Era the restrictions were formalized, and segregation was extended to the federal government by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 (wikipedia).To discuss the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, a brief history of the major case that had to be overturned to achieve the desired goal of Brown v. Board of Education. After the Civil War, America, especially the South was plunged into a racist spurred segregation. The South had lost the Civil War, but they were not ready to let African Americans simply assimilate into polite society...
Words: 2653 - Pages: 11
...Jim Crow Laws What would you think if you were to go to the bathroom and see a sign stating that there was a separate bathroom for African Americans, likely one that was in much worse shape? This would have been very common in America in the 1930s. According to Clive Gifford, author of “World Issues, Racism”, “Racial discrimination denies members of one racial group access open to others” (Gifford 19). Racial discrimination has taken place several times throughout history, even in the form of laws, such as the Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow laws were prejudiced laws that supported racial segregation in the United States for several decades. THE START OF JIM CROW LAWS Jim Crow laws began in the United States around the 1880s (“Jim Crow Laws” 1)....
Words: 1665 - Pages: 7
...Jim Crow was the personification of the system of racial segregation. Jim Crow laws treated white people as if they were superior to black people, and black people were the second-class race. White people and black people were not allowed to be socially equal in the eyes of Jim Crow. “It went so far that if a white person asked a black person a question, the black person had to respond the answer that the white person wanted to hear, regardless of the truth.” Woodward was unquestionably correct when he states that African Americans were not treated equally because of segregation caused by the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws enforced the segregation of races in the United States. These laws were started in the late 1870’s and lasted until the...
Words: 1568 - Pages: 7
...2. Contraband of War describes fugitive slaves who fled to the Union Army lines during the Civil War. This was significant because the Second Confiscation Act made enslaved people who fled to assist the Union Army permanently free. The Army helped to support and educate both adults and children. The Reconstruction is the process in which former Confederate states were readmitted into the Union after the Civil War. It was the rebuilding of the south. This is significant because it was America’s first attempt at interracial democracy. Reconstruction also gave blacks the opportunity to solidify their family ties. Freedmens’ Bureau is a federal entity that enacted a unified and comprehensive program of relief and rehabilitation for freed people....
Words: 336 - Pages: 2
...Civil Rights Movement in the USA The Civil Rights Movement was a movement to secure for African Americans equal access to and opportunities for the basic privileges and rights of U.S citizenship. Although the base of the movement go back to the 19th century, it peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. The civil rights movement took place after the ending of the civil war in the early 1860s. Laws such as the “Jim Crow Laws” enforced this racial segregation in the southern Uunited Sstates. These laws continued in force until 1965 acting to keep the white dominance in Aamerica. Jim Crow Laws were created in the American South after the Civil war. These laws mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in states of the former confederate states...
Words: 689 - Pages: 3
...Race in the Turn of the Century America After the Civil War, America had entered the Reconstruction phase, and there were many issues within the nation that continued and further developed due simply to race. During this time, “the color line was firmly established in American culture, and there was infrequent crossing of the divide” (Bowles, 2011, section 2.3, para 17). There was unquestionable detriment to the growth of the African American community, as well as increased timidity for basic African American rights. The issues of segregation and racism that were so prominent during this era in America were one of the ways that Black Americans remained almost invisible in a white society. Despite the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves, race continued to be a problem in early twentieth century America. One of the most critical issues surrounding the further entrenchment of racial segregation within the early twentieth century was the development of policies and laws that did not follow the emancipation guidelines for ex-slaves, but instead made segregation and discrimination of African Americans more prominent. These laws were at first called the Black Codes, allowing for differences in the way that African Americans were treated both privately and publically. Even Supreme Court cases, like Plessy vs. Ferguson, further allowed for racism to be a compelling factor within the nation. This case allowed for the expansion of the Black Codes instead of abolishing...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...The Jim Crow Era had not come to an end yet. The unfair and unequal treatment of African Americans was different, but not over. Jim Crow was many things, but specifically Jim Crow was “statutory law in the overly white-supremecist states, namely the old Confederacy and the border states… police and the courts enforced the acts of lawmakers, who represented every kind of jurisdiction from municipal and county administrations to school districts and state legislatures…” (Packard, 2002, pp. 163-164). However, Jim Crow was not just built into legislation. Much of Jim Crow was in fact, customary “largely because most African-Americans rather than being commingled with whites in civil society were enslaved and thus came most directly under the control of owners… Over the additional one hundred years that racism held much of America in thrall, the etiquette of Jim Crow became an unbendingly enforced system of social control” (Packard, 164). The lyrics from the song Uncle Sam speak of Jim Crow laws and how the laws made it acceptable for people to discriminate. “Uncle Sam says, ‘your place is on the ground, when I fly my airplanes, don’t want no Negro around’…” Although the United States at this point was post-slavery, the idea of post-racial...
Words: 1208 - Pages: 5
...Political Ignorance: Hatred amongst African Americans in US History Tia Taylor Eth 125 Political Ignorance: Hatred amongst African Americans in US History Thanks for visiting the Blogsite again. You may think this will be just another opinionated article on African American culture being posted because it’s voting season. In fact, you’re correct. This article was dedicated to provide a realistic inside look into the history of the African American culture because there is a trend of American citizens stating they are voting for Obama because he is black. There are quite a few who have no other reason as to why they are voting for him other than that and since they may not be able to explain their answer, maybe this will help those that are angry and/or confused. Yes, it is quite simple minded to say you’re voting for Obama because he is black. It is also quite simple minded to say a person who said that is ignorant. In fact, we must remember that those who state that may have happened to grow up under a long ancestry of racism and hate just as the white kid down the street who draws Nazi symbols on his desk at school. Just like him and his older brother who might be a prejudice employee at his job, it’s not their fault they are that way. It was their environment and maybe if you understand a person’s environment and their background, you will understand why statements like this are being made all over social media websites. I’ll make these breakdowns as short and simple...
Words: 1679 - Pages: 7
...American Civil Rights Background Timeline of events / Personalities 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected US president. * Made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, a law which would see the release of all slaves in America. * Belief that the slaves should be freed was a key factor in sparking the American civil war. 1861: The American Civil War begins at fort Sumter. * Fought between the United States of America, who opposed slavery, and the Confederate States of America, a new nation established by seven slave states in the south. * Not the only reason for the civil war, slavery was a key issue being fought over. 1865: The 13th amendment is passed, permanently outlawing slavery. * Shortly after the surrender of all confederate forces, ending the civil war. 1866: The civil rights act is passed by Congress. * The first to define US citizenship as well as state that all citizens were protected by the law. * It is expected that the act was passed, despite being vetoed repeatedly by President Andrew Johnson, in order to protect the rights of African-Americans. 1870: The 15th amendment is passed, giving the black man the right to vote. 1875: A bi-racial senate and House of Representatives passes the civil rights act. * Designed to protect all Americans in their access to accommodations and facilities such as restaurants. * Never enforced and was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme court in 1883 1896: The Supreme Court introduces...
Words: 1518 - Pages: 7
...The American Civil War, simply know as the Civil War throughout the United States was fought from 1861 to 1865. It was a fight between the north and the south, formally referred to as the Confederacy and the Union. The origin of the war revolved around the pressing issue of slavery, especially the expansion of slavery into the western territories. In 1865, after four years of bloodshed that left over 600,000 Confederate and Union soldiers dead, the Confederacy collapsed and much of the south’s infrastructure had been destroyed. The Civil War had come to an end. Slavery was abolished and the difficult process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves began. This period is noted in history as the Reconstruction Era. Working towards a progressive tomorrow, the American Civil War marked the start of a dramatic shift in America’s thinking. At the start of the Reconstruction Era (post Civil War), the South was left torn apart. Roads and houses needed to be rebuilt and the people needed assistance. From 1863 to 1865, presidents Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln took adequate steps designed solely for the purpose of bringing the South back to a level of economic stability. Radical Republicans consisted of American politicians within the Republican Party. They supported the rights of African Americans to vote, hold political office, and have the same economic and legal freedoms and opportunities as the whites. During the whole of the Reconstruction...
Words: 2180 - Pages: 9
...Alexander, Civil Rights Attorney, details the occurrence of legalized discrimination in her book called "The New Jim Crow." The New Jim Crow indicates that even though slavery has been long abolished, systemized inequalities still exists. There is a strong existence in employment opportunities, educational systems, public assistance, and jury selections across the country. Without taking a closer look, one could easily believe that the prison system is designed to rehabilitate those who have had trouble with the law. However, there is a question as to whether those who are truly rehabilitated have access to equal opportunities when released from correctional facilities. One can further question whether those persons are given fair...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains The Reconstruction Era was the time period from 1865-1877 after the Civil War ended. The South was severely damaged from the war. Farms, railroads and bridges were destroyed and The South had tremendous hurdles to overcome to get back on track. The North entered a time where politicians took the opportunity to pass laws that southerners in Congress had resisted before. Businesses started to boom and take shape. The Reconstruction Era was the time period where the government attempts to resolve the issues resulting from the end of the Civil War. One turning point was The Freedman’s Bureau was established by Congress in 1865 to build schools, food and medical care to needy southern black and white people and to ensure equal access to the judicial system for southerners both black and white. It also urged former slave owners and former slaves to work as employers and employees rather than master and slaves. The Bureau was managed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard, in which the historical black college Howard University is named after. The biggest achievement by the bureau was in education. Before the Civil War, there were no state-supported public education which still in effect today. The ex-slaves long to learn to read and write, and this was a major priority for the bureau and by 1870 more than 1,000 schools had be established. The Freedman’s Bureau was only suppose last for a year, but Congress renewed its charter bill extended...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...The modern Civil Rights movement in the United States was a pivotal period marked by significant strides toward racial equality. Historians have often drawn parallels between this era and the period immediately following the Civil War, known as Reconstruction, prompting some to refer to the modern Civil Rights movement as the "Second Reconstruction." This comparison highlights both the enduring struggle for African American civil rights and the efforts to address the legacy of racial oppression in America. The Reconstruction era sought to establish civil rights for African Americans through constitutional amendments and federal legislation. However, these gains were short-lived as they faced significant backlash from Southern states and white...
Words: 916 - Pages: 4
...Abstract This paper explores race relations amongst the people after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era of the nineteenth century. The Southern whites tried to maintain their status quo of supremacy. The following will describe techniques that the southern whites used in an effort to keep the south as it was in the antebellum. Laws were enacted to protect the civil rights of the freed people and those born in the United States. In some case these laws were stricken down by the Supreme Court. Laws were also created in the south to minimize the freedoms of the newly freed people. These laws were called “Black Codes” and “Jim Crow Laws.” In America’s south was the first domestic terrorist group the Ku Klux Klan which started as a social club in Tennessee. This paper will describe some of the issues that started in the nineteenth century and carry on today. In the south the wealthy and politically connected white people refused to let go of their way of life after the Civil War. The southerners did all they could to maintain a status quo. In their minds the war did not change anything. After the Civil War the white southern power structure used the following techniques to make the exercise of freedom for the former slaves challenging. The first technique I will discuss is a political fashion when the local and state governments in the south instituted Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes. Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes limited black Americans’ capacity to dispute inequalities...
Words: 1912 - Pages: 8
...Chapter 6: The Fire this Time Summary Analysis In the book, The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander discusses race-related issues specific to African-American males and mass incarceration in the United States, though Alexander notes that the discrimination faced by African-American males is also prevalent among other minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged populations. Alexander's central premise, from which the book derives its title, is that "mass incarceration is, metaphorically, the New Jim Crow keeping company with the final chapter of the New Jim Crow, “The Fire this Time,” this section is devoted to the question of where we go from here. Michelle Alexander argues that we, as a nation, have reached a fork in the road. Likewise, here at the end of our journey with her book, we find ourselves at a critical point of decision. What is required of us at this moment in history, a time when millions are cycling in and out of our nation’s prisons and jails trapped in a parallel social universe in which discrimination is perfectly legal? How do we show care and concern for the children who are born into communities where the majority of men and growing numbers of women can expect to spend time behind bars? What must we do, now that we know that the usual justifications do not hold water, and that a human rights nightmare is occurring on our watch? The New Jim Crow begins and ends with the assertion that nothing short of a major social...
Words: 1321 - Pages: 6
