AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Jim Crow Laws (Day 175/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Jim Crow Laws as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

“Worse than Slavery,” Wikimedia Commons

During and after Reconstruction, Democrats, known as Redeemers, regained political control in the South and sought to reinstitute white supremacy. 

Waiting Room Sign, Wikimedia Commons

One of the main goals was to enact segregation policies to separate the races. These became known as Jim Crow laws and mandated racial segregation in all public places including transportation and schools and lasted until the Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century. 

The Original Jim Crow, Wikimedia Commons

Jim Crow was a pejorative term for African Americans that likely came from minstrel shows in which white actors would don blackface to perform exaggerated imitations of African Americans that perpetuated inferior stereotypes.

Segregated Schools, University of Memphis

These laws, derived from discriminatory Black Codes, dictated separate and unequal treatment, with "whites only" and "colored" facilities. These laws became synonymous with racial oppression, fostering a legacy of discrimination and inequality. 

In response to the rights gained by African Americans after the Civil War, Jim Crow laws emerged to enforce racial segregation and restore white supremacy.
Join me tomorrow as I explain Plessy v. Ferguson in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!