Jim Crow Laws: Sources Evolution

Jim Crow laws: sources evolution

Introduction

The civil war was the bloodiest internal conflict that the US has suffered. This conflict was between the northern states (union), who reproached slavery, and the southern states (Confederates), who approved it. Thus, a conflict was generated where union was victorious and left an atmosphere of hatred towards the libertos. In this way, the following question will be analyzed: how secession war influenced the behavior of American society regarding the liberation of slaves during the 1865-1965 years?

To analyze I will use two sources that are relevant to my research since 2 racial attitudes are contrasted from the secession war. The source A has measures taken by some states to segregate: white and black; While, source B mentions a timeline with the events of the civil rights movement.

This is a secondary source written by María Roa on a news web article. It is directed to the general public; Thus, language is formal and understandable. Its purpose is to publicize segregation laws in the US and its impact on society. Its content is about the laws of Jim Crow, which were laws dictated with the aim of segregating black and black.

The value of the content is that this source focuses on the laws of segregation, the reason for its creation and its objectives. In addition, he explains that these statutes not only divided people, but also encouraged racism. With reference to the purpose, the impact of these mandates on the releases on society is demonstrated, and the way in which they were strongly affected and denigrated.

The limitations of the content are that the specific origin of these laws are not mentioned, nor does it objectively explain that these occurred from the secession war, but that it remains at the rate of one. Regarding the limitations of the purpose, it does not expose the impact of these laws throughout society, but focuses on the releases. In addition, the Protestant Group of these Statutes is not considered, which is pertinent in my research.

Developing

This is a secondary source written by editors of Hitorry.com. This article is written in English and is aimed at all audiences; Therefore, the information is clear and orderly. Its purpose is to chronologically inform about the actions taken to achieve civil rights in the US for the releases. Its content mentions the Jim Crow laws, World War II and accounting events that occurred for said objective.

Its content value is that it is extensive and marks with a timeline the events that occurred in the struggle of civil rights freight. It covers from Rosa Parks to the Housing Equity Law in 1968 and gives a certain historical context. Its value in purpose is that all events are mentioned chronologically, and recounts about the historical context for the best understanding of the subject by people.

The limitations of the content are that, when covering so many issues, it does not deepen these events, but some characteristics are mentioned. Thus, important facts could be omitted. The limitations of the purpose, not deepening each of the issues, certain gaps or ignorance in readers could be left, and subsequently could generate confusion.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, racism is: ‘Exacerbation of the racial sense of an ethnic group that usually motivates the discrimination or persecution of another or others with what he lives.’Knowing this, it can be said that racism is a problem that has been experienced in all societies throughout history, and can be caused by various circumstances. In this investigation, the way in which the civil war of the United States influenced a change of behavior in its society regarding racism will be analyzed.

According to the historian of the Profenhistory website.com, the civil war or the secession war was an internal problem given in the United States between 1861 and 1865. This conflict was caused by a disagreement between the northern states, which did not support the use of slaves, and those of the South, which approved it. 

In this way, a civil war was generated in which the northern states were victorious and slavery was abolished. This fact brought political, economic and, mainly social problems. Well, the group of libertos was affected by racism, and were indirectly excluded from society. At this point, I can say that US Confederate Society did not accept that slaves are released.

One of the measures taken by the southern states was the creation of black codes. According to the authors of the Britannica page.com, black codes were a set of laws imposed at the end of the secession war that limited the freedom recently obtained by the releases. When analyzing this situation, I can emphasize that black codes were the way in which the southern states maintained white supremacy and had privileges about former slaves. 

Well, black codes were gradually imposed on all southern states, and each one made small modifications. In some states the black codes were more offensive, as in Mississippi; while in others they were more moderate, as in North Carolina. However, all states maintained a goal, which was trying to illustrate these codes without having a racist sense. Since, although they were codes that were directed for the releases, they tried to be indirectly, so that there are no claims for the civil rights that had been granted to them.

In my opinion, I would say that they had the goal of maintaining the releases below American society, since they feared that they would develop economically, politically and socially. In this way, according to the Greenlane website.com, these codes limited the rights granted to former slaves. 

An example of this could be a law that prohibited working with a black person as owner of land, but could only be a peasant (with miserable salary). Likewise, this law was backed by another that ruled that, if a black person renounced his work, he would lose his annual salary and could not be hired again. Thus, it can be said that these codes kept libertos as slaves. Well, they were not only forced to be subordinated from another person,

On the other hand, those in the north did not take into account the black codes and progressively declared civil rights equality. This corresponded to an advance for the US, since the releases were considered independent people capable of developing. In this way, the rights towards the releases were progressing until, in the fifteenth amendment in 1870, they were granted the political right to vote for the free and were integrated into American society. From my point of view, I can say that the northern states took a better way to the liberation of slaves, so much so that they were given social and economic rights so that they can be established in society.

Another consequence of the secession war and that promoted racism in American society was the creation of Jim Crow laws. According to Eduardo Montagut writer of Elsaltos Domains.com, the laws of Jim Crow were a set of laws given in 1874 and 1875 that were responsible for segregating society in two groups: Black and Blacks. In addition, these laws were imposed throughout the nation with the legend "separate but equal". 

This legend was not true, since these laws were extremely racist. Well, the releases were segregated in public places such as squares, schools, among others. In my criteria, the Jim Crow laws were discriminatory statutes that limited the social rights of the libertos. Well, although it is true that these had social rights, Jim Crow laws did not allow them to walk freely through the streets; Well, they could only be in certain places, which in most cases were denigrating.

However, over time these laws were generating social discontent in Americans, especially in the affected group. In this way, a social disorder was unleashed where African Americans made peaceful demonstrations. An example of these manifestations was the so-called SIT-IN; According to History’s editors.com, this originated in 1960 when 4 African Americans sat in positions that were reserved for whites, and refused to stop until they attend them. 

In this way, the demonstrations were growing and little by little they joined other groups of people. In my opinion, the SIT-Ins is one of the few examples of the demonstrations that were made in search of civil rights for the releases. And thanks to all the demonstrations that were granted civil rights to the Libertos in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This is an example of the search for equality, the affected people decide to leave conformism and fight for what they were taken.

When I did my research, I realized some of the methods applied by historians. Well, to carry out my research I visited several sources of different authors and I could evaluate several arguments from different points of view. Thus, I could see which one was the most suitable for my work in my case I applied the technique of using secondary sources to collect data, and thus, do my research. 

To make each of my arguments I evaluated several sources and chose only one as the main one and served as a guide in my research. However, he did not verify everything he needed in these sources, so I was forced to look in other alternate to fill those empty spaces. I faced this limitation in several of my sources, an example can be the source of Jim Crow laws; Well, in this manifestations are mentioned, but I did not appoint them; Then I had to search other sources to get the name of some manifestations and continue with my research. 

And, in this way, I found relevant information for my perspective. Another limitation that I found was with respect to the language; Well, when dealing with an English -speaking country, many sources written in Spanish did not have enough information. So, I had to look for sources in English as Britannica.com and history.com

In the case of historians, one of the difficulties they face is to give reliability to their sources. Well, reliability is one of the things that a source must have since not having it could influence the veracity of this. If we relate it to my research, the factors that could influence veracity depended closely on the sources that I chose, and therefore, the technique of evaluating the origin, purpose, value and limitations was of great help to be able to choose the most relevant source for my job. In this way, I could realize that historians must have a great ability to judge and analyze the facts to, thus, form their insicious and reliability arguments. 

conclusion

In conclusion, the secession war was a conflict that greatly influenced the behavior of American society with respect to racism. Well, from the Civil War, the Americans took measures that fostered racism and white supremacy to stay above the libertos. Some examples of those were: Jim Crow laws and black codes. However, these racist attitudes promoted the affected group to get up to take actions in search of civil rights. An example of this are the peaceful manifestations made as the sit -ins; Thus, they got them almost a century after their supposed release. 

It can be said that racial inequality began from the moment in which the story was told by white men, and reached the extreme in which to kill a man of color was unpunished. However, that discrimination is ending; Well, the people got tired of being judged and the mold broke to expose the reality in which Jim Crow laws and black codes never abolished, but were indirectly impregnated indirectly in society.