Ruth M. Wilson
Below is a brief description of Jim Crow. Please read it and then answer the questions . . . use your dictionary.
After the Civil War, white southerners devised a system to
subjugate
the Blacks. The subjugation was known as Jim Crow which became a way of life for both races in the South. It was a set of laws or customs which
excluded
Blacks from the “good life.” This meant that African-Americans had no rights and could not
assert
themselves when wronged. During this era, Blacks were
lynched
by hanging from a tree or tarred and feathered for any minor
infraction
. Therefore, the Blacks, especially males had to be
subservient
in order to survive. For example, if a Black supposedly became arrogant or disrespected a white woman or man next day he would be hanging from a tree. “Jim Crow” and
segregation
was the
yoke
of the Black man. This
burden
was to follow his until the 1960’s and the Civil Rights Era.
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1. Why do you think the South used this tactic of fear? _____
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2. Do you think Jim Crow could be enforced today? _____
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3. The Civil Rights Movement changed many things in the South. Can you name at least two things which has made life better for all Americans? _____
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4. Pretend that you are a young Black child and there is only one park to visit. What do you do? _____
