African Americans Lose Ground

Faced with many mistreatments from whites African Americans had to figure
out the best way to reach forward to equality. Around black communities this was
the trending topic and started lots of debates within them. Most African Americans
preferred social integration, however, there were some who agreed with segregation
and thought things should stay as they were. After reconstruction all the rules that
arose led to the Jim Crow Era.
Jim Crow was initially from a song that black children at play sung, but in the
1820s it took on a different meaning all because of Thomas Dartmouth Daddy
Rice. He was a white performer who looks as if he was Jim Crow on
stage
with as he mocked the stereotyped black character. Rapidly the
term Jim Crow turn into a racial slur.
In the 1870s white democrats were elected to
replace the african americans that had been elected durin
reconstruction. Southerners referrred to these new leaders
as reedeemer goverments because they were expected to
redeem the south by reversing reconstruction. The
redeemer lawmakers started to pass laws to limit the
power of black citizens, these laws became known as Jim
Crow Laws which was a widespread across the South during
1890-1910. It also was spreaded in the North but not as much.
As reconstruction ended the south started to write new constitutions.Their
were two supreme courts which became the legal basis for segregation in the
United States. In 1873 three separate cases reagaurding the meatpacking industry
in New Orleans were brought before the Supreme Court.Together these three cases
were called the Slaughterhouse Cases.When their case reached the Supreme Court
the slaughter house owners argued the lousiana law violated under the 15 th
amendment but they didnt agree because it only protected rights of national
citizenship not rights, such as business ownerships granted by states.
In 1892 another case of discrimination arose, Homer Plessy which was oneeighth black tested an lousiana law by refusing to fulfil. He sat in a white streetcar
he figured since he was seven-eighths white he deserved to sit ther, so he was
arrested. Lousiana courtdisagreed facilities did not demean blacks long as facilities
were equal. He appealed states decision case landed in U.S. Supreme court. In the
Plessy v. Ferguson, the court sided with lower court since blacks and whites had
access to equal facilities which became known as Separate but Equal doctrine.

Barriers to Voting

Voting rights became a major issue for African Americans. Some whites
wanted black to have the right to vote and some did not. End of the Reconstruction
the south ratified new black codes. These black codes did anything to prevent them
from voting as far as taking literacy tests, paying poll taxes and grandfather
clauses.
In 1880s Populist Movement begun to support and protect farmers, in 1892
they officially banned as a new political party. The leaders turned to blacks to gain
support. With support from populists blacks voters elected a few black politicians to
office in South.
Racial Violence on the Rise
Life under Jim Crow era was very dangerous for African Americans. Black who
violated the Jim Crow laws not only put their selves at risk but their jobs, family
members, and homes. The most common and horrible form of racial violence in the
1800s was lynching majority of the victims were accused of crime or misconduct. By
the late 1890s it was likely that one black was lynched every other day. During this
era the rate for race riots that occurred in cities increased intensely.