Jim Crow and Segregation

Jim Crow &

Plessy Vs. Ferguson

Objective: Create a claim about the extent of equality and justice after the Reconstruction Era.​

​

US History ; Grade 8

Draw

Do Now: What is segregation? Draw an image/symbol of what segregation looks like to you.

Open Ended

Based on the image below, list 2 things you see, 1 thing you think, and 1 thing you wonder.

Jim Crow

The Reconstruction Era led to conditions becoming increasingly more difficult for African- Americans. Today we will examine one of the most unjust periods in United States history. 

Jim Crow laws were laws in the South based on race. They enforced segregation between white people and black people in public places such as schools, transportation, restrooms, and restaurants. They also made it difficult for black people to vote. After the Civil War there was a period in the South called the Reconstruction. During this time the federal government controlled the southern states. However, after the Reconstruction, the state governments took back over. Most Jim Crow laws were put in place in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many of them were enforced until the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Multiple Choice

What was the motivation behind these Jim Crow laws in the south?

• Blacks were gaining more political power and threatened white southern power

• white southerners wanted to incorporate black politicans

• black southerners wanted their own separate facilities

• white southerners did not want to allow blacks to own property

Examples of Jim Crow

Jim Crow laws were designed to keep black and white people apart. They touched on many aspects of society.

Here are a few examples of laws in different states:

• Alabama - All passenger stations shall have separate waiting rooms and separate ticket windows for the white and colored races.

• Florida - The schools for white children and the schools for black children shall be conducted separately.

• Georgia - The officer in charge shall not bury any colored persons upon the ground set apart for the burial of white persons.

• Mississippi - Prison wardens shall see that the white convicts shall have separate apartments for both eating and sleeping from the black convicts.

There were also laws that tried to prevent black people from voting.

Multiple Choice

Jim Crow Laws were designed to

• reform the justice system

• reinstate slavery

• segregate whites and blacks

• ensure blacks could vote in local elections

Open Ended

What were 2 examples of Jim Crow laws:

Multiple Choice

What was it called when people were charged a fee to vote?

• Literacy Test

• A poll tax

• Educational Exam

• Voting Clause