The American Dark Ages Focus on 1880s-early 1900

Introduction to the American Dark Ages  This time period was coined the American Dark Ages by historian Rayford W. Logan due to an increased violence— e.g., lynching—in the south based on race.  Whites used a three pronged attack aimed at stopping African Americans' participation in politics and the economy and maintain white supremacy:  1. Disenfranchisement —every southern state, between 1890 and 1905, passed laws designed specifically to prevent African Americans from voting.  2. Jim Crow Laws —In this same period, each southern state passed laws formally segregating public facilities. It was in the 1890s that the famous "white" and "colored" signs appeared.  3. Lynching —In this same period, a campaign of lynching began, targeting African American men especially

Disenfranchisement  In order to deter black men (and poor whites) from voting, southern states created laws within their state constitutions:  Poll tax—payment upon voting (usually being asked to pay back taxes).  Literacy tests—(40-60% of blacks were illiterate) needing the ability to read or write (to sign name, write candidate down, place in appropriate box).  Arbitrary registration practices  Grandfather Clauses were created in order to allow anyone whose grandfather voted pre-Civil War to bypass any sort of tax or test upon voting.  Aside from laws, blacks faced violence and possible fraud when attempting to vote  Intimidation or physical violence  Having their vote for a non-white candidate thrown out

Jim Crow Laws  Up until Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) the idea of “ separate but equa l” was not law of the land in the south (although it existed in some areas).  Formal legal segregation became known as Jim Crow Laws  The term Jim Crow comes from an American actor names Thomas D. Rice who lived in the early to mid-1800s and who would imitate black culture—speech, habits, songs—all in black face.  Once segregation was made into law, specified in signs in public places started popping up.  Separate drinking fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, hotels, train cars, and separate sections of beaches, parks and theaters.

Lynching  Lynching was a cruel combination of racism and sadism used to sustain the caste system in the South.  Most of the lynchings were by hanging or shooting.  Other forms of lynching include: burning at the stake, maiming, dismemberment, castration.  Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama were the leading lynching states (had nearly half the total victims combined).  However, there were lynchings in ever state except MA, RI, NH and VT.  Lynchings occurred most commonly in the smaller towns and isolated rural communities of the South where people were poor and mostly illiterate.  Mobs were made up of small land holders, tenant farmers and common laborers, whose economic status was very similar to that of the Negro.

Lynching  According to the Tuskegee Institute, between 1882 and 1951, 4,730 people were lynched in the United States: 3,437 Negro and 1,293 white.  Tuskegee records also show that between 1882 and1951:  41 % felonious assault  19.2 % rape  6.1 % attempted rape  4.9 % robbery and theft  1.8 % for insult to white persons  22.7 % for miscellaneous offenses  Lynchers were rarely ever indicted by a grand jury or sentenced.  Judge, prosecutor, jurors and witnesses were all white.  If sentenced, the participants in the lynch mobs were usually pardoned.

Lynching  William Brown recalls a Florida lynching in 1902.recalls

Works Referenced   html html   ses.html ses.html  ear.html ear.html