Jim Crow Laws in the History of the United States

Created by: Valerie Gresser

University of Florida

2019

Standards Addressed:

SS.912.A.2.5 Assess how Jim Crow Laws influenced life for

African Americans and other racial/ethnic minority groups.

LAFS.910.RI.1.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to

support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as

inferences drawn from the text.

LAFS.910.RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases

as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,

and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of

specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the

language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

Objectives

Today we will:

Understand the factors that led to the implementation of Jim Crow laws.

Identify the different types of Jim Crow laws that were established in the

U.S.

Describe how Jim Crow laws affected groups of American citizens.

Analyze the language choices that authors use to infuse attitudes and

authorial perspective into their writing.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Historical Thinking

Guiding Questions

• What sorts of laws were implement to prohibit African American’s freedoms?

• How did prevailing racism affect African Americans in American society during the Jim Crow era?

Engage Phase –

Introduction to Sourcing Using a Graphic Organizer Source #1:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #2:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #3:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Engage Phase –

Introduction to Sourcing Using a Graphic Organizer Source #4:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #5:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #6:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Engage Phase –

Introduction to Sourcing Using a Graphic Organizer Source #7:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #8:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Source #9:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Engage Phase –

Introduction to Sourcing Using a Graphic Organizer Source #10:

Reliability:

Summary:

Similar to Which Source?:

Thoughts?:

Thin questions (questions that focus on details from the text):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Thick questions (questions that deal with the big picture):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6

Whole Group Discussion

What assertions did your group make?

What connections did you make between resources?

Your Connections/ Evidence that helps you answer your guiding questions:

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase

Examine Phase Text Excerpt from “The Jim Crow Negro”

The Jim Crow negro is an abnormal product of our environment. He is a little less than a monstrosity. He has a peculiar conception of his own importance and is a misfit in the economy of race building. He has a peculiar idea of self-respect and lives most largely in the realm of the superficial. He rather seem than to be and has but little conception of real man or woman hood.

Jim Crowism most largely among the so-called educated Negroes. It has but little growth among the common people. It is the professional Negro, the college boy and girl, the school man and the idle, educated misfits who infest every community in which Negroes live. The Negro in overalls or who follows the industrial and economic employment is not the class that infest the buzzard roost and crowd the rats and mice out of their holes in order to see a play, but is usually the society Negro woman and man.

It is a common thing in Southern cities to see the back alleys to white theaters filled with Negro theater parties and the police lining them up like mules one behind the other under threats and curses. It is a common thing to see large numbers of the junior and senior classes from our colleges infesting back alleys among news boys; other rabble scuffling for a place in the line to reach the buzzard roost by the way of the back door. It is not an uncommon thing to see our doctors, school teachers, and what-nots in full dress and our women in full evening dress with ten dollar bouquets in their hands climbing in the white man’s theater through the back alleys. It is not an uncommon thing for the policemen in lining up the rabble in the back alleys to place the Negro school “marm” or Negro college girl fifteen feet away from her beau.

Exercise Phase - Group Work With a New TextText Excerpt from “Future of the Negro” Article

The strange changes in the American black man’s condition are even more wonderful. In a condition like the first Greeks, he was

brought to the United States and put through the terrible and trying ordeal of human bondage for 250 years. He went into bondage

without a knowledge of any art or conception of civilization; he came out speaking the language of the proud white man. He

became the farmer, mechanic and general workman of the South. He gained some conceptions of liberty, duty, morality, and

religion, though deemed them for a great while. When the time came for the bloody drama of the Civil War to be played and all

was misunderstood by man, God stood behind the scenes and thundered the decree that slavery must end, and gradually his plans

have unfolded in such a manner that there should not be a pessimist in the whole negro race.

As a race the negro needs more self-reliance. He must not depend on political changes to make him rich and happy, but he must

steadily work, even in the humble sphere given to him, and dignify it so much that he will prove his worth as an individual. He must not

go through now grumbling about slavery’s disadvantages, but should be wide awake to improve the opportunities of freedom. He

must turn disadvantages into advantages. Demosthenes was once a stammerer. Milo was once a weakling. Lincoln was a poor farm

boy. Garfield was without a father and drove a canal boat. Johnson was a tailor. Yet, all of these, by self-reliance, wrote their names

indelibly in history.

Extend Phase

Write a response to what you have learned from this lesson.

Explain how the Jim Crow laws affected African Americans

in this country. As you write, use your appraisal analysis

handouts. Make sure to infuse attitudes and judgements in

your own writing.