The World of Jim CrowThe World of Jim Crow

-- chapter 9, section 3 ---- chapter 9, section 3 --

The Roots of Jim CrowThe Roots of Jim Crow• ReconstructionReconstruction

– Union troops enforce rights of former Union troops enforce rights of former slaves in Southslaves in South

– Blacks vote blacks into officeBlacks vote blacks into office• 1877 = End of Reconstruction1877 = End of Reconstruction

– No more Union troops to enforce rightsNo more Union troops to enforce rights– Freedoms begin to fadeFreedoms begin to fade

Voting RestrictionsVoting Restrictions• Concern = Concern = too much political power too much political power

for blacks if they votefor blacks if they vote• 1890s: voting restrictions emerge1890s: voting restrictions emerge

– Property requirementProperty requirement– Poll taxPoll tax– Literacy testsLiteracy tests– Grandfather clausesGrandfather clauses

• Limit black voting w/out specifyingLimit black voting w/out specifying

De FactoDe Facto Segregation Segregation• Segregation that simply results Segregation that simply results

from tradition.from tradition.– It exists in fact, but not in law.It exists in fact, but not in law.

• Soon became legalizedSoon became legalized– Jim Crow lawsJim Crow laws required segregation in required segregation in

schools, parks, hospitals, theaters, schools, parks, hospitals, theaters, restrooms, other public buildings.restrooms, other public buildings.

– Black facilities were Black facilities were alwaysalways inferior. inferior.

Jim Crow EtiquetteJim Crow Etiquette• Keeping blacks “in their place”Keeping blacks “in their place”• System of etiquette requiring System of etiquette requiring

blacks to show deference to whitesblacks to show deference to whites– Whites say, “Boy” or “(first name)”Whites say, “Boy” or “(first name)”– Blacks say, “Mister” or “Sir”Blacks say, “Mister” or “Sir”

• Small breaches of etiquette:Small breaches of etiquette:– Loss of job for blacksLoss of job for blacks– Subjected to violenceSubjected to violence

LynchingLynching• The murder of an accused person The murder of an accused person

by a mob w/out a lawful trial.by a mob w/out a lawful trial.– Sometimes included a mock trial.Sometimes included a mock trial.– Sometimes victims were mutilated Sometimes victims were mutilated

before being hanged or shot.before being hanged or shot.• Lynchers were rarely pursued, Lynchers were rarely pursued,

caught, convicted, or punished.caught, convicted, or punished.

WARNINGWARNINGThe following are pictures of

lynching. They are very graphic.They are very graphic.

Please do not look if you cannot handle seeing such images.

Lige Daniels, 1920Lige Daniels, 1920• Postcard depicting the lynching of Lige Postcard depicting the lynching of Lige

Daniels (Daniels (Center, Texas, August 3, 1920Center, Texas, August 3, 1920))• The back reads,The back reads,

"This was made in the court yard in "This was made in the court yard in Center, Texas. He is a 16 year old Black Center, Texas. He is a 16 year old Black boy. He killed Earl's grandma. She was boy. He killed Earl's grandma. She was Florence's mother. Give this to Bud. From Florence's mother. Give this to Bud. From Aunt Myrtle."Aunt Myrtle."

Jesse Washington, 1916Jesse Washington, 1916• A postcard showing the burned body of A postcard showing the burned body of

Jesse Washington (Jesse Washington (Waco, Texas, 1916Waco, Texas, 1916))• Washington was a 17-year-old retarded Washington was a 17-year-old retarded

farmhand who had confessed to raping farmhand who had confessed to raping and killing a white woman.and killing a white woman.

• He was castrated, mutilated, and burned He was castrated, mutilated, and burned alive by a cheering mob that included alive by a cheering mob that included the mayor and the chief of police.the mayor and the chief of police.

Jesse Washington, 1916Jesse Washington, 1916• An observer wrote that An observer wrote that "Washington was "Washington was

beaten with shovels and bricks. . . [he] beaten with shovels and bricks. . . [he] was castrated, and his ears were cut off. A was castrated, and his ears were cut off. A tree supported the iron chain that lifted him tree supported the iron chain that lifted him above the fire. . . Wailing, the boy above the fire. . . Wailing, the boy attempted to climb up the skillet hot chain. attempted to climb up the skillet hot chain. For this, the men cut off his fingers."For this, the men cut off his fingers."

Jesse Washington, 1916Jesse Washington, 1916• This image is from a postcard, which

said on the back, "This is the barbeque we had last night. My picture is to the left with a cross over it. Your son, Joe."

Will James, 1909Will James, 1909• The circus-style lynching of Will JamesThe circus-style lynching of Will James

(Cairo, Illinois, 1909)(Cairo, Illinois, 1909)

Duluth Lynching, 1920Duluth Lynching, 1920• In Duluth, Minnesota on June 15, 1920,

three young African-American travelers were dragged from their jail cells (where they were confined after being accused of raping a white woman) and lynched by a mob believed to number more than one thousand.

• This is a postcard of that lynching.

Charting the TrendCharting the Trend

Northern MigrationNorthern Migration• Many African Americans moved

north de facto discrimination– Schools, housing, employment

• Job competition in N. cities creates fear. RACE RIOTS!– NYC, 1900– Springfield, Illinois, 1908

(not job-related)

It becomes LEGAL.It becomes LEGAL.• Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896

– Homer Plessy (1/8 African) buys a first-class train ticket from New Orleans. He refuses to sit in the black only car.

– He is arrested.• Case reaches the Supreme Court.

PlessyPlessy Decision Decision• RULING: Segregation is legal as

long as the separate facilities were equal to the whites’ facilities.– “Separate but Equal”

• The 14th Amendment was “not intended to give Negroes social equality but only political and civil equality.”

Resisting DiscriminationResisting Discrimination• 1905: Niagara Movement vows

– Never to accept “inferiority”– Never to bow to “oppression”– Never to apologize “before insult”

• Only 400 initial members• They are listened to after the

1908 Springfield Race Riots.

NAACPNAACP• Mary White Ovington

– White social worker– Organized a national conference to

address the “Negro Question”– Founding of the NAACP

• By 1914– 50 branches w/ 6,000 members– Worked through the court system