Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that allowed and legalized racial segregation between

the
African-Americans and the whites in the south. The Jim Crow Laws existed between the end of the
reconstruction period and the beginning of the civil rights movements in the south (1877- 1950s). The
Jim Crow Laws rose to power during the late 19 th and early 20th century when the whites dominated the
legislatures in the country, especially in the south. The laws humiliated and racially segregated the
African-Americans in many aspects, for example, in public transport, education, residential areas, and
voting rights, among others. The rise of civil rights movements began to challenge the Jim Crow Laws,
and in 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson, the then-president, signed the Civil Rights Act, bringing the Jim Crow
Laws to an end. The essay will discuss the various Jim Crow Laws and their impacts on American society
in the south, especially on the African-Americans, and how they came to an end in the late 20 th century.

Firstly, residential segregation between the African-Americans and the whites was a major aspect of the
Black codes Institutionalized by the Jim Crow Laws. After the reconstruction period and the abolishment
of slavery in the south, the white-dominated legislatures passed laws that segregated the African-
Americans with the whites. The laws required blacks to live in separate residential areas away from
white people (Tischauser, 12). The laws also detailed how black people could work and the amount of
compensation they should get. As a result, the African population was humiliated and racially
discriminated against by the white people in all aspects. The white people served as police and judges
hence making it difficult for African-Americans to secure their rights or win court cases. African-
American offenders were subjected to injustice and received longer sentences than their white
counterparts. Black people were also subjected to grueling works and heavy forced labor. As a result,
the African-Americans remained subject to the black codes and were racially segregated by the whites.

Secondly, the Black codes racially segregated African-American in the education sector. The laws
segregated Africans' children with whites children in the learning system. As a result, the black codes
advocated for white schools and African schools (Pilgrim, 4). African-Americans children were not
allowed to attend the white's schools and were also limited in opportunities compared to their white
equals. Furthermore, the white kids received quality education with adequate learning facilities and
qualified teachers, unlike their equals in the African-American's schools. The white children were also
not allowed to play the African children or interact in any means. As a result, the Jim Crow Laws
subjected the African-Americans to severe racial discrimination and segregation, especially in the
education system.

Moreover, another major aspect of Jim Crow Laws was the segregation of African-Americans in public
transport and places. The laws segregated the public transports such that the Africans were not allowed
to travel together with the white people (Pilgrim, 3). The railroads' transport provided separate
accommodation by partitioning an area for the white people and another for the Africans. In some
places, there existed trains or buses specifically for African-Americans, and others for the whites only.
The main idea was to make sure the African did not mix with the whites in public transport. The public
segregation did not stop at that point but was also evident in public places such as offices, waiting
rooms, restaurants that did not allow Africans to mix with the whites. As a result, the laws segregated
the African Americans almost in all public sectors

Additionally, the Jim Crow Laws curtailed the African-Americans from voting. The Black codes
institutionalized by the Crow Laws denied the Africans from voting, unlike their equal whites who
participated in the democratic process. The laws placed the Black people in indentured servitude, hence
taking away their voting rights (Hench, 731). Various suppression tactics were incorporated into the
voting process to discourage African-Americans from voting. These suppression tactics against the
Africans included poll taxes, literary tests, and grandfather clauses. As a result, these suppression tactics
violated the poor and minority voters, especially the African-American, hence curtailing them from
voting.

However, in the late 20th century, the rise of the Civil Rights movement in the south began to challenge
these laws. World War 2 also brought a big change in American society. As a result, activists began to
emerge in the United States, fighting for the rights of the African-Americans and other minority groups.
As a result, civil rights movements became common among the African-Americans community
advocating for equal rights as the whites. With time movements efforts were recognized; for example, in
1948, Harry Truman, the then-president, ordered integration in the military incorporating the Africans.
Later in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated education was unconstitutional (Tischauser,
217). As a result, these brought segregated education to an end in the United States. Since then, various
changes started to occur, and African-Americans were granted their rights as their equal whites. Finally,
President Lyndon B. Johnson legally ended the Jim Crow by signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

In conclusion, Jim Crow Laws were state and local segregation laws that developed after the
Reconstruction period in the south of the United States. The laws incorporated black codes that racially
discriminated and segregated African-Americans. These laws segregated the Africans in various ways,
for example, residential segregation, segregation in the education and public transport sectors, and
lastly, curtailed the Africans from voting. However, in the late 20 th century, the rise of the civil rights
movement, and the emergence of African activists began to challenge these oppressive laws. As a result,
various developed occurred, and the blacks gained their rights until 1964 when president Lyndon legally
ended the Jim Crow Laws by signing the Civil Rights Act.
Works Cited

Tischauser, Leslie Vincent. Jim Crow laws. ABC-CLIO, 2012.

Pilgrim, David. "What was Jim crow?" Ferris State University 16 (2000): 2007.

Hench, Virginia E. "The death of voting rights: The legal disenfranchisement of minority voters." Case W.
Res. L. Rev. 48 (1997): 727.