Plessy v. Ferguson, (1896) was an appeal of a Louisiana state law, the Separate Car Act of 1890, that required railroad companies to provide separate train cars for African-American and Caucasian travelers. The Louisiana state courts upheld the law, so Plessy (and the Citizens' Committee, an early civil rights group in New Orleans) appealed the case to the US Supreme Court, challenging the law as unconstitutional under the Thirteenth (anti-slavery) and Fourteenth (equal protection) Amendments.
The Court held that the Thirteenth Amendment applied only to slavery, and that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of equal protection was satisfied if the railroad companies provided "equal" facilities and accommodations for African-Americans. This decision established the "separate but equal" doctrine that allowed states to pass racist Jim Crow laws.
The decision in Plessy was later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education, (1954), but Jim Crow laws continued to exist until Congress began legislating and enforcing the Civil Rights Acts, beginning in 1964.
Case Citation:
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 US 537 (1896)
The laws that allowed segregation were called Jim Crow Laws. They were justified under the doctrine of 'separate but equal.'
because they created this complex system for adopting laws
At the end of Reconstruction, southern states passed a series of laws known as Black Codes, which were designed to restrict the freedoms and liberties of African Americans. These laws enforced racial segregation, limited voting rights, and imposed harsh penalties for minor offenses. Additionally, the withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 allowed white supremacist groups to regain control, leading to further disenfranchisement and systemic discrimination against Black citizens. This marked the beginning of an era of Jim Crow laws that institutionalized racial segregation in the South.
The withdrawal of federal troops from the South after Reconstruction significantly altered the racial equilibrium by allowing Southern states to reassert control and implement discriminatory laws without federal intervention. This led to the rise of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised Black voters. The absence of federal protection facilitated the resurgence of white supremacist groups and violence, fundamentally undermining the progress made during Reconstruction. As a result, the South shifted back to a system that institutionalized racial inequality and oppression.
the segregation laws were commonly known as "Jim Crow" laws
Apartheid
Segregation was not specifically established as law in 1786 in the United States. However, racial segregation became institutionalized through laws such as Jim Crow laws in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, enforcing racial discrimination and segregation in public facilities, transportation, education, and housing. This legal framework upheld a system of white supremacy and racial hierarchy.
An example of segregation is the Jim Crow laws in the United States, which enforced strict racial segregation in public facilities, schools, and housing. Another example is apartheid in South Africa, where a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination was in place from 1948 to 1994.
The laws that enforced segregation in the United States were known as "Jim Crow laws." These statutes, enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mandated racial segregation in various public facilities, schools, transportation, and accommodations. They institutionalized a system of racial discrimination and inequality, particularly in Southern states, until the civil rights movement led to their eventual repeal.
laws that promoted segregation- apex learning
Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
People became more aware of race.
Jim Crow Laws
In 1952, 17 states in the United States had laws that mandated racial segregation in public schools. This segregation was a result of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial discrimination and separation, particularly in the Southern states. The landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 would later challenge and ultimately overturn these segregation laws.
Jim Crow laws
Because they favored racial segregation.