S EGREGATION AND D ISCRIMINATION

C ONCEPTS TO R EMEMBER Post Reconstruction era to the turn of the century African Americans began to exercise their new political and social rights Faced hostile and violent opposition from whites Southern States adopted a broad system of legal policies to limit the political and social freedoms of A As A As not the only group to be treated this way: Discriminatory practices reached: Mexicans, Chinese, and Native Americans also!

C ONCEPTS C ONT. A As that violated racial etiquette rules or Jim Crow Laws were shot, burned alive, or lynched. In the North, blacks were discriminated against by hiring them last, firing them before whites, or paying them less for the same work Same fears and discriminatory acts with Chinese and Mexicans in the West. Many of the legal decisions in court cases involving discrimination and segregation did not favor minorities.

I MPORTANT T ERMS Voting Restrictions- Whites used the Literacy test, Poll Tax, and Grandfather Clause (January 1, 1867) Jim Crow Laws- segregation laws used to separate white and black people in public and private facilities. Racial Etiquette- informal rules and customs to belittle A As and reinforce their second class status Debt peonage- involuntary slavery to work off a debt to the employer (A As and Mex.)

N OTABLE E VENTS Plessy vs. Ferguson Established the idea that “separate but equal” facilities did not violate the 14 th Amendment Civil Rights Cases- Courts ruled that 14 th Amendment could not be used to prevent private citizens from discriminating based on race. Williams vs. Mississippi court upheld state literacy requirement that, in effect, kept A As from voting Cumming vs. B.O.E. Richmond County court ruled that federal government cannot prevent seg. in local schools because they are ran by local governments.