Seperate But equal

Question 1

Knowledge 1

Answer 1

From the 1870s, Southern state legislators sought to deny black Americans their civil rights by introducing a series of segregation laws which became collectively known as Jim Crow Laws.

Question 2

Knowledge 2

Answer 2

Moreover, the position of the Jim Crow Laws was strengthened in 1896 when the Supreme Court issued its infamous “separate but equal” decision which stated that it was constitutional to segregate the races as long as the facilities provided were equal.

Question 3

Analysis 1

Answer 3

The existence of such legislation was a key barrier to civil rights because their legal basis meant that they could only be challenged through courts.

Question 4

Analysis 2

Answer 4

This was an important obstacle in preventing black people from achieving civil rights as it gave southern legislators the green light to introduce yet more Jim Crow Laws throughout the South, strengthening the system of racial apartheid in place and creating a huge barrier to civil rights.

Question 5

Counter Analysis

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Golden Nugget

Answer 6

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”.