3. Jim Crow

Learning Intentions: Understand the impact of the Jim Crow Laws and norms in USA 

Success criteria:

• Understand the historical background of racial segregation and the Jim Crow South

• Explain the impact of various laws and norms on individuals and Southern society and its culture

Activity 1 - Read and copy the blue following into your workbook

Jim Crow laws were the laws that enforced racial segregation in the U.S. Southern states.

The origins of Jim Crow Laws can be traced back to the period following the Civil War and the end of slavery in the United States. After the abolition of slavery in 1865, Southern states faced a new social and economic order. However progress was met with fierce opposition. White supremacist groups, like the Ku Klux Klan, and many Southern lawmakers sought to maintain racial hierarchy. Southern states began passing Jim Crow laws in the late 19th century, enforcing racial segregation in public spaces, schools, and transportation. These laws were designed to marginalize Black Americans, disenfranchise them, and uphold the legacy of slavery through a legal system that institutionalized racial discrimination.