Blacks and whites could not play checkers together in Birmingham, Alabama, under a law. And in , blacks and whites were forbidden from boating together in Oklahoma. Blacks who violated these laws could be physically beaten by whites without reprisal; lynchings occurred with startling frequency when blacks violated Jim Crow laws.
Racial segregation was an integral part of society in some parts of the country, and so black men who served in the military were assigned to segregated divisions. Black servicemen were given lesser support positions such as grave-digging or cooking, and they were served food in separate lines from white servicemen. At first, black servicemen did not engage in combat, but as the war went on, increasing numbers were placed in front-line positions, where they served with distinction.
President Harry Truman created a committee to investigate the issue, and in , Truman issued an executive order that eliminated racial discrimination in all of the military branches. The tide began to turn noticeably toward equality in the following years with a series of Supreme Court victories for civil rights. Black people finally began breaking down racial barriers and challenging segregation with success, and the pinnacle of this effort was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of , which abolished the Jim Crow laws.
This law outlawed discrimination in any type of public accommodation. However, a week after the war ended, Lincoln was assassinated and Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President. Black codes were established in many states that curtailed the rights of African Americans. Congress responded with the Civil Rights Act of , but that did not prevent states from passing discriminatory legislation.
Investigate this complex period of national rebuilding and retrenchment further with these resources. The 15th Amendment guaranteed African-American men the right to vote. Almost immediately after ratification, African Americans began to take part in running for office and voting. Voting rights in the United States have not always been equally accessible. African Americans and women of all ethnicities have fought, and continue to fight, especially hard to have their voices heard.
It has used intimidation, violence, and murder to maintain white supremacy in Southern government and social life. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Colored Water Fountain The effort to protect the rights of blacks under Reconstruction was largely crushed by a series of oppressive laws and tactics called Jim Crow and the black codes.
Photograph by Bettmann. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Constitution that allows all citizens the right to vote. Supreme Court. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Reconstruction View Collection. In , Louisiana had , registered black voters. Jim Crow laws touched every part of life. In South Carolina, black and white textile workers could not work in the same room, enter through the same door, or gaze out of the same window.
In Richmond, one could not live on a street unless most of the residents were people one could marry. One could not marry someone of a different race. By , Texas had six entire towns in which blacks could not live. Mobile passed a Jim Crow curfew: Blacks could not leave their homes after 10 p.
Georgia had black and white parks. Oklahoma had black and white phone booths. Prisons, hospitals, and orphanages were segregated as were schools and colleges. In North Carolina, black and white students had to use separate sets of textbooks. Atlanta courts kept two Bibles: one for black witnesses and one for whites. Though seemingly rigid and complete, Jim Crow laws did not account for all of the discrimination blacks suffered. Unwritten rules barred blacks from white jobs in New York and kept them out of white stores in Los Angeles.
Humiliation was about the best treatment blacks who broke such rules could hope for. More than , black men served in World War I. The country welcomed them home with 25 major race riots, the most serious in Chicago. White mobs lynched veterans in uniform. Black Americans fought back.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in , and the Urban League publicized abuses and worked for redress. Protesters march against school segregation. Wikimedia Commons. Though they drew support from both races, these groups barely stemmed the tide. The s and 30s produced new Jim Crow laws.
By , a Swede visiting the South pronounced segregation so complete that whites did not see blacks except when being served by them. Jim Crow shocked United Nations delegates who reported home about the practice. In , President Harry Truman took decisive action to promote racial equality.
He urged Congress to abolish the poll tax, enforce fair voting and hiring practices, and end Jim Crow transportation between states.
Then, as commander in chief, Truman ordered the complete integration of the armed forces. He did not wipe out racism, but, trained to obey commands, officers complied as best they could.
0コメント