Separate but equal decision Flashcards
Topic sentence
Many historians argue that the “separate but equal” decision was the most important obstacle in preventing black people from achieving civil rights by 1941.
Evidence 1
From the 1870s, Southern state legislators sought to deny black Americans their civil rights by introducing a series of laws which strengthened segregation in America. These laws collectively became known as the Jim Crow Laws
Analysis 1
This was an important obstacle to Black people achieving civil rights because the existence of such laws increased white supremacy in America as they pushed the belief that white people were superior to black people.
Evidence 2
Furthermore, the Supreme Court passed its infamous “separate but equal” decision in 1896, which stated that it was constitutional to segregate the races as long as the facilities provided were equal and this strengthened the existence of Jim Crow laws.
Analysis 2
This was an important obstacle in preventing black people from achieving civil rights as it gave southern legislators the go ahead to introduce more Jim Crow Laws throughout the South (e.g textbooks for use in white school were not to be stored in the same place as those for black schools), therefore creating a massive barrier to civil rights
Counter analysis
However, Black people in the North did not suffer from Jim Crow laws as racism wasn’t implemented by law, meaning that this could not be the most important reason in preventing black peoples from achieving civil rights.
Evaluation
To evaluate, the Supreme Court’s decision meant the system of segregation was difficult to challenge as historian John Kerr argues, “Black peoples said that the decision of the Supreme Court made it legal in the USA to discriminate against them and they were right”. However, the Supreme court would not of made this decision if prejudice and racism didn’t exist in the first place. The widely held racist views in the USA sparked the making of Jim Crow laws and the Supreme Court’s decision.
