Jim Crow Research Paper

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Jim Crow and World War II Imagine walking down a United States’ city street during the 1930s and 1940s. As you passed shops, businesses, and restaurants, you would probably see two things: advertisements for the war and signs saying white or black people only. The Jim Crow laws and World War II are both significant part of United States history. Even though this was a pretty controversial time in history, the events that took place helped mold the United States into what it is today. Jim Crow was the name of the system of laws that stripped African Americans of their personal rights. These laws started in the 1870s with the general aim to deprive any African American of his or her personal rights. The southern and border states were the primary followers of Jim Crow (What Was Jim Crow?). According to USA History, “The name Jim Crow derived from a comic and sketch show character played by Thomas Dartmouth Rice in 1904.” Before the character, there was a song often referred to as “Jumpin’ Jim Crow.” The actors would paint their faces black to make fun of African Americans. Jim Crow was portrayed to be lazy, naïve, and confused. Even though there are clues that the term Jim Crow was used before T.D. Rice, this was the first documented use (USA History). Jim Crow laws were not only a set of rules, but also a set way of life. African Americans were regarded as inferior in many ways. It was assumed that black people were lower class than their white counterparts. While during this time, many preachers would teach that whites were the supreme race, and God approved of making blacks servants forever. Many people believed that integration would form a horrible race that would destroy the nation. Even though there were many written law... ... middle of paper ... ...onal rights and freedoms that Americans are entitled to. On the positive side, this proved that blacks were capable of fighting for their rights and that their race did not prove anything about them. They struggled to do away with the “separate but equal” policy. After segregation ended, the blacks diminished any negative stereotypes that they were associated with. Despite the fact that Jim Crow has long been laid to rest, beliefs and stigmas of this era are still visible among the social and financial aspects of America. Democracy in the United States will always be a work in progress, because sometimes it does not live up to what it was set out to be. Some of the most discriminated against people helped secure the rights and freedoms we have today by serving our country. African Americans have assisted people today to achieve the American Dream (Contradictions).

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