Jim+Crow+Life

To set the stage for the civil rights movement, you must first understand the environment of segregation in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. What was life like in Jim Crow America? Cut and paste this information into a new page in your Unit 8 Online ISN. **** You (and your partner, if you have one) are African Americans who have lived through the era of Jim Crow in America. Using the links provided in this activity, respond to the “oral history questions” in first person. **

**Right after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was ratified. What did the 14th Amendment provide for African Americans? What does “due process” and “equal protection of the laws” mean?** [|14th LINK] The 14th Amendment provided citizenship for African Americans. Due process and equal protection of laws mean that you have to go through the same process in court and the laws protect andprosecute everyone the same way.

**Unfortunately, your equal rights were challenged by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What do you remember about the facts, decision, and impact of this case?** [|Plessy LINK] In Louisiana their was a man involed in an orgination that tried to expose the wrong of segregation laws through court. This man, Plessy, purpously sat on a segregated railcar. The Supreme Court decided that segregation was constitutional as long as the facilities are equal.

**The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?**[| Jim Crow LINK] Jim Crow is a stereotypical African American that became the face of the black codes. He didn't write any of the laws he wasn't even a real person. It was a figure with pure black skin and pink lips. White people would dress on stage like this because the black people weren't allowed on stage.

No African American was allowed to play with a white person. A white can not marry a person containing more than one eighth African American, Japenes or Chinese blood. No white can go to an African American school and vice versa. Because of all of these laws I tried my best to stay away from whites to avoid a conflict or false accusations. This has also made my education and knowledge suffer.
 * What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you?** [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 1] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 2] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 3]

Jim Crow America was always segregated. Movie theatres were segragated along with trains, schools, bars, and hospitals. The main images that show the hatred and unacceptance of the time are lynchings. Some other images are the differences in the colored benches water fountains etc. compared to the whit ones is incredible.
 * What did Jim Crow America look like in the 1900s? What are some images that can help explain the realities of the time?** __ Jim Crow Images LINK 1 __/ [|Jim Crow Images LINK 2]

9 boys were falsely accused of rape but was overturned several times but most still suffered from the punishments of the crime which was death. If i were black and in the south i would be outraged that my people no matter what we do can never find justice in the land of opportunity.
 * What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South?** [|Scottsboro LINK]

**What do some of your friends and family say about life in Jim Crow America? (listen to one or two)**[|Audio History LINK 1]