The Jim Crow EraBy: Parsa Kameli

How Jim Crow Originated

Jim crow was originated in the 1830’s A white man named Thomas “Daddy” Rise

blackened his face with charcoal paste and danced around while singing the lyrics to the song “Jump Jim Crow”

Rice saw a elderly black man singing and dancing a song ending with these chorus words(Davis):o “ Weel about and turn about and do jis so,o Eb’ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow.”

Jim Crow Laws Getting Popular

Rice incorporated the play into a minstrel act by the 1850’s the “Jim Crow” character had become a standard part of the show scene in America

Around the eve of Civil War, the Jim Crow idea was a stereotypical images of black’s in the popular culture

“Jim Crow” became a racial slur towards the colored population for the white society

Towards the end of the century racial discrimination against blacks were often referred as Jim Crow Laws. (Davis)

The Jim Crow Social Codes

A. A black man could not offer his hand to a white man because it shows equality . Also a black cant offer any part of his body to a woman because he doesn’t want a risk of being accused of rape.

B. Blacks and whites were not suppose to eat together. If they did than whites were ALWAYS served first.

C. A black man cannot light a white females liger, it is considered intimacy

D. Blacks could not show public affection because it offended whites ( ex: kissing)

The Jim Crow Social Codes(Cont.)

E. Blacks were introduced to whites, never whites to blacks

F. Blacks were called by there first names. Blacks were not allowed to call Whites by there first names though, they were to address them like Mr., Mrs., Miss., Sir, or Ma’am

G. If a black person rode a car driven by a White man, the Black person sat in the back seat or the trunk (Pilgrim)

Impact On Southern Life

African Americans were known as 2nd class citizens Many of the ministers taught that the whites were the

chosen people, and blacks were cursed to be servants They believe that god supported it Newspapers and magazines referred to Blacks as

coons, niggers, and darkies which showed black stereotype

They thought that sexual relations between Whites and Blacks would demolish America

Also thought that treating blacks equally would encourage sexual unions

If necessary violence would be used to keep blacks at the bottom(Pilgrim)

Impacts On Southern Lie (Cont.)

Blacks avoided looking whites in the eyes and black males knew not to look, even indirectly, at white women or to touch them accidentally

Black customers usually were not served first in stores when white customers there

They usually were not allowed to try on clothing in white businesses, because white customers would not buy clothes that black people had tried on(Davis)

Punishments For Code Breakings

If a Black man were to break any of the Jim Crow rules/ laws punishments could severely vary.

For example if a black man were to drink from a white fountain or they tried to vote, risked their homes, their jobs, and even their lives

Blacks could be physically beaten by a whites Blacks also had little legal recourse for the

assaults because the Jim Crow criminal justice system was basically all white

The most extreme forms of Jim Crow violence was lynching's(Pilgrim)

Lynching Pictures

Plessy vs. Ferguson Case

In 1892, a 30-year old shoemaker named Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in a car for only white people on the East Louisiana Railroad

He had refused to move to a black car. Even though he was 7/8 white and only 1/8 black, he was put in jail

The Louisiana law stated that if you had any black ancestors, you were considered black. Because of this, Plessy was required to sit in the "colored" car

In court, Plessy argued that the law violated the 13th and 14th Amendments or the constitution. (Think Quest)

Plessy vs. Ferguson Case (Cont.)

“The Thirteenth Amendment made slavery illegal in the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment states that all persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States and of the state where they live.”

Plessy argued that the Louisiana law violated these amendments because on the train Blacks and Whites could be separate, if it was equal, but it wasn't. The White cars were nicer and cleaner than the Black cars. Judge John Howard Ferguson ruled that Plessy was guilty, because the state had the right to regulate railroad companies that run only in the state.(Think Quest)

Supreme Court Decision

Plessy went to the Supreme Court of Alabama because he wanted a second trial he was found guilt again

Then he went to the Supreme Court of the United States.

He was once again rejected and pleated guilty. The court said Mr. Plessy was found guilty,

because the Louisiana law did not violate the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments

They claimed that Plessy wasn't forced to be a slave and he wasn't being treated “unequally, just separately.”(Think Querst)

Work Cited Davis, Ronald L.F. "Creating Jim Crow." The History of Jim Crow. New York Life. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

<http://jimcrowhistory.org/history/creating2.htm>. Davis, Ronald L.F. "Survivng Jim Crow." The History of Jim Crow. New York Life. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

<http://jimcrowhistory.org/history/surviving2.htm>.

Pilgrim, David. "What Is Jim Crow?" Jim Crow Museum. Ferris State University, Sept. 2000. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/what.htm>.

ThinkQuest, Oracle. "Plessy v. Ferguson." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 08 Apr. 2012. <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/plessy_v__ferguson.htm>.