Life+in+Jim+Crow+America

** You and your partner 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. ** 
 * 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.** 

**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 gave me rights. I wasn't a slave anymore and I now could be a citizen of the United States of America since I was born here, but my parents can not because they were born in Africa. The amendment also protected our liberties of freed slaves. I now have equal protection of laws too. They are unable to deny me of life liberty and property without due process of law. Due process ,means you can not deny any one one the right of equal protection of the laws. Equal protection of the laws means you can't enforce any law which will give other people privelages.

**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] I was 1/8th black because his parents were black but doesn't look black. I sat in a white man's car whose rights are the same as mine. I then deliberatly sat in a white section.They then put charges on me saying I couldn't do that, but the 13th and 14th amendment says I can. So I was arrested and taken to trial; it went all the way to the supreme court. The seperate car act violated the 13th and 14th amendment. I decided that seperate places for blacks and whites are fine as long as they are exactly the same. What I fought for was meaningless, because black places were always inferior to those of the whites.

**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 was an actor that preformed stereotypical plays. Later the name was to describe the segragation laws, rules, and customes which occurred after the reconstruction in 1877 and lasted until aroun the 1960's. He was associated with the black codes which helped lead to the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.

I was able to get an education at age six but I went to a seperate school than whites did. If I ever went to jail I would never be in the same prison cell as a white. Same thing for the hospital; I would never be in the same room or area as a white man unless it is my doctor. The marriage of a black and white is unlawful. In a public event I will have to use a different consession stand than the whites. We will also be seperated. When I travel and sit in a totally different area then whites. I go to a seperate building than whites too. I also use a different bathroom.
 * 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]


 * 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] [[image:life.jpg width="148" height="266"]] This is a black man getting kicked out of his seat because of the Jim crow laws

This is a picture of a colored waiting room. The signs are everywhere.This is a picture of a girl holding up a sign that says "It is no achievement to be segragated at the fair. Stay Out." This picture was posted in the newspaper. It was hard for blacks to get heard because many newspapers wouldn't write about them.

A fight broke out on a train with whites vs. blacks and the blacks won. The white men who fought were tossed off the train. The train was then stopped in a town called Paint rock. Nine boys were charged with assault. Then two ladies dressed in mens clothes came out and said they were raped by those boys. They said this because they were afraid of getting in trouble because they were having sexual activity with some of the whites on the train. The nine boys then went to court and faced a white jury. They were convicted and sentenced to death except the youngest who was 12 years old.
 * 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] My aunt says there was a curphew. You had to have a note from the chief of police stating that you can stay out later. She said that non- educated blacks curphew was 9:00p.m and educated blacks curphew were 9:30p.m. She also said in movies white people usually were supposed to exit first and blacks were supposed to wait.