Jim Crow and Voting

8/14/2019 Jim Crow and Voting

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Elusive

Rights:

Trying to

Vote in the

Jim Crow

SouthEven after the passage of the 15th Amendment, African-Americans still hada tremendously difficult time attempting to exercise the rights granted tothem by the government. Because while Southern states could no longerban black voting outright, they engineered an elaborate system of lawsand policies that served as a practical ban on the black vote.

The Origins of Jim Crow: The phrase Jim Crowcomes from a popular song of the 1830s called JumpJim Crow by Thomas Dartmouth Daddy Rice, ablackface performer. The lyrics are below:Come, listen, all you gals and boys, I'm just from Tuckyhoe;I'm gwine to sing a little song, My name's Jim Crow.Chorus: Wheel about, an' turn about, an' do jis so;Eb'ry time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.I went down to de river, I didn't mean to stay,But there I see so many gals, I couldn't get away.I'm rorer on de fiddle, an' down in ole Virginny,Dey say I play de skientific, like massa Paganini.

I cut so many munky shines, I dance degalloppade;An' w'en I done, I res' my head, on shubble, hoe or spade.I met Miss Dina Scrub one day, I gib her sich a buss;

An' den she turn an' slap my face, an' make a mighty fuss.De udder gals dey 'gin to fight, I tel'd dem wait a bit;I'd hab dem all, jis one by one, as I tourt fit.

I wip de lion ob de west, I eat de alligator;I put more water in my mouf, den boil ten load ob 'tator.De way dey bake de hoe cake, Virginny nebber tire;Dey put de doe upon de foot, an' stick 'em in de fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Paganinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galop


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Examples of Jim Crow laws:

EDUCATIONMississippi: Separate schoolsshall be maintained for thechildren of the white and coloredraces.

North Carolina: Schooltextbooks shall not beinterchangeable between thewhite and colored schools, butshall continue to be used by the race first using them.

ENTERTAINMENTAlabama: It shall be unlawful to conduct a restaurant or other place for theserving of food in the city, at which white and colored people are served in thesame room, unless such white and colored persons are effectually separated by a

solid partition extending from the floor upward to a distance of seven feet orhigher, and unless a separate entrance from the street is provided.

Georgia: It shall be unlawful for any amateur white baseball team to play onany vacant lot or baseball diamond within two blocks of a playground devoted tothe Negro race, and it shall be unlawful for any amateur colored baseball team toplay baseball within two blocks of any playground devoted to the white race.

FREEDOM OF SPEECHMississippi: Any person guilty of printing, publishing or circulating matter

urging or presenting arguments in favor of social equality or of intermarriagebetween whites and negroes, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

HEALTH CAREAlabama: No person or corporation shall require any white female nurse tonurse in wards or rooms in hospitals, either public or private, in which negro menare placed.


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MARRIAGEArizona: The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a Negro shall be nulland void.

Maryland: All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between awhite person and a person of negro descent, to the third generation, inclusiveare forever prohibited, and shall be void.

Wyoming: All marriages of white persons with Negroes, Mulattos, Mongolians,or Malaya hereafter contracted in the State of Wyoming are, and shall be, illegaland void.

SERVICESGeorgia: No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls.

Georgia: The officer in charge shall not bury, or allow to be buried, any coloredpersons upon ground set apart or used for the burial of white persons.

TRANSPORTATIONAlabama: The conductor of each passenger train is authorized and required toassign each passenger to the car or the division of the car, when it is divided bya partition, designated for the race to which such passenger belongs.

Maryland: All railroad companies are hereby required to provide separate carsor coaches for the travel and transportation of the white and colored passengers.

1. Look at the picture of the water fountains. What difference do you see

between the two?

2. What is your reaction to some of these laws? Which ones do you find tobe most extreme?

3. What evidence from above suggests that Jim Crow was not exclusively aDeep South phenomenon? What does this say about the view ofAfrican-Americans in general?


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In any democracy, arguably the most important right of all is theright to vote. In the pages below, you are going to simulate anAfrican-American as he attempts to vote in the Jim Crow town ofStarkville, Mississippi in 1892. You will have to deal with a widevariety of obstacles if you want to vote. Do you have what it takes?

The first thing that you have todeal with is a__________________________.Simply put, this clause stipulatesthat _________________________________________________________________________.

Lets see, what amendment

granted all (male) citizens theright to vote? ______________And it was passed in 1870.

So, based on the requirements ofthe _____________________,are you exempt from having to

meet the voting requirements? Check the box below that applies toyour situation:

Yes _____ No ______

Crap. This means that you have to go through the requirements.

1. What was the purpose of the ______________________?

2. Why was this clause so effective in preventing African-Americans from voting?

3. Why do you think the ________________ was not ruledunconstitutional?


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Good for you. Undeterred by the Grandfather Clause, youve decidedto continue and try to vote. The problem is that, because you werenot grandfathered in, you have to pass a variety of challengingobstacles before you will be allowed to drop your ballot in the box.

First, lets find out a question: do you think that stupid people should

be allowed to vote? Why or why not?

The next step in your voting ordeal is called the ________________.In theory, the idea was to keep ignorant people from voting. In

reality, however, it was ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

The following is a copy of an actual Jim Crow era literacy test. Youwill have _____ minutes to determine whether or not you are smartenough to vote and have rights in the United States of America. Ifyou fail this test, you cannot vote. Good luck!

1. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?

_____Public Education_____Employment

_____Trial by Jury

_____Voting

2. The federal census of population is taken every five years.

_____True _____False

3. If a person is indicted for a crime, name two rights which he has.

______________________ ________________________

4. A U.S. senator elected at the general election in November takes

office the following year on what date?

_________________________________________________

5. A President elected at the general election in November takes office

the following year on what date?

______________________________________________________________________

6. Which definition applies to the word "amendment?"

_____Proposed change, as in a Constitution

_____Make of peace between nationals at war

_____A part of the government


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7. A person appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court is appointed for a term

of __________.

8. When the Constitution was approved by the original colonies, how

many states had to ratify it in order for it to be in effect?

_________________________________________

9. Does enumeration affect the income tax levied on citizens in various

states? __________

10. A person opposed to swearing in an oath may say, instead: I(solemnly)

______________________________________________________________

11. To serve as President of the United States, a person must have

attained:

_____25 years of age




12. What words are required by law to be on all coins and paper

currency of the U.S.?

________________________________________________________________________

13. The Supreme Court is the chief lawmaking body of the state.


14. If a law passed by a state is contrary to provisions of the U.S.

Constitution, which law prevails?

________________________________________________________________________

15. If a vacancy occurs in the U.S. Senate, the state must hold an

election, but meanwhile the place may be filled by a temporary

appointment made by

________________________________________________________________________

16. A U.S. senator is elected for a term of _____ years.

17. Appropriation of money for the armed services can be only for a

period limited to _____ years.

18. The chief executive and the administrative offices make up the

___________________ branch of government.

19. Who passes laws dealing with piracy?

________________________________________________________________________

20. The number of representatives which a state is entitled to have in

the House of Representatives is based on

_________________________________________________

21. The Constitution protects an individual against punishments which

are _______________ and _______________________.

22. When a jury has heard and rendered a verdict in a case, and the

judgment on the verdict has become final, the defendant cannot again be

brought to trial for the same cause.



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23. Name two levels of government which can levy taxes:

________________________________________________________________________

24. Communism is the type of government in: _____U.S.

_____Russia

_____England

25. Cases tried before a court of law are two types, civil and

_________________________.

26. By a majority vote of the members of Congress, the Congress canchange provisions of the Constitution of the U.S.


27. For security, each state has a right to form a

_________________________________.

28. The electoral vote for President is counted in the presence of two

bodies. Name them:

_____________________________________________________________________

29. If no candidate for President receives a majority of the electoral

vote, who decides who will become President?

___________________________________________________

30. Of the original 13 states, the one with the largest representation

in the first Congress was

______________________________________________________________________.

31. Of which branch of government is the Speaker of the House a part?

_____Executive

_____Legislative

_____Judicial

32. Capital punishment is the giving of a death sentence.


33. In case the President is unable to perform the duties of his

office, who assumes them?

___________________________________________________________________

34. "Involuntary servitude" is permitted in the U.S. upon conviction of

a crime.


35. If a state is a party to a case, the Constitution provides that

original jurisdiction shall be in

______________________________________________________________________.

36. Congress passes laws regulating cases which are included in those

over which the U.S. Supreme Court has____________________________________________ jurisdiction.

37. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights

of the U.S. Constitution.

_____Public Housing

_____Education

_____Voting

_____Trial by Jury


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38. The Legislatures of the states decide how presidential electors may

be chosen.


39. If it were proposed to join Alabama and Mississippi to form one

state, what groups would have to vote approval in order for this to be

done?

________________________________________________________________________

40. The Vice President presides over

____________________________________________.

41. The Constitution limits the size of the District of Columbia to

______________________________________________________________________.

42. The only laws which can be passed to apply to an area in a federal

arsenal are those passed by ___________________________________________

provided consent for the purchase of the land is given by the

_________________________________________.

43. In which document or writing is the "Bill of Rights" found?

______________________.

44. Of which branch of government is a Supreme Court justice a part?_____Executive

_____Legislative

_____Judicial

45. If no person receives a majority of the electoral votes, the Vice

President is chosen by the

Senate. _____True _____False

46. Name two things which the states are forbidden to do by the U.S.

Constitution.

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

47. If election of the President becomes the duty of the U.S. House of

Representatives and it fails to act, who becomes President and when?

_______________________________________________________________________

48. How many votes must a person receive in order to become President

if the election is decided by the U.S. House of Representatives?

_______________________________

49. How many states were required to approve the original Constitution

in order for it to be in effect?

______________________________________________________________

50. Check the offenses which, if you are convicted of them, disqualify

you for voting:_____Murder

_____Issuing worthless checks

_____Petty larceny

_____Manufacturing whiskey

51. The Congress decides in what manner states elect presidential

electors.



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52. Name two of the purposes of the U.S. Constitution.

________________________________________________________________________

53. Congress is composed of

__________________________________________________.

54. All legislative powers granted in the U.S. Constitution may legally

be used only by

______________________________________________________________________.

55. The population census is required to be made very _____ years.

56. Impeachments of U.S. officials are tried by

___________________________________.

57. If an effort to impeach the President of the U.S. is made, who

presides at the trial?

_____________________________________________________________________

58. On the impeachment of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the

U.S., who tries the case?

________________________________________________________________

59. Money is coined by order of:_____U.S. Congress

_____The President's Cabinet

_____State Legislatures

60. Persons elected to cast a state's vote for U.S. President and Vice

President are called presidential

_________________________________________________________.

61. Name one power which is exclusively legislative and is mentioned in

one of the parts of the U.S. Constitution

above______________________________________________.

62. If a person flees from justice into another state, who has

authority to ask for his return?

_____________________________________________________________________

63. Whose duty is it to keep Congress informed of the state of the

union?

_____________________________________________________________________

64. If the two houses of Congress cannot agree on adjournment, who sets

the time?

_____________________________________________________________________

65. When presidential electors meet to cast ballots for President, must

all electors in a state vote for the same person for President or can

they vote for different persons if they so choose?_____________________________________________________________________

66. After the presidential electors have voted, to whom do they send

the count of their votes?

_____________________________________________________________________

67. The power to declare war is vested in

________________________________________.


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68. Any power and rights not given to the U.S. or prohibited to the

states by the U.S. Constitution are specified as belonging to whom?

______________________________

Did you pass? Yes _____ No _____

If you answered Yes aboveCongratulations! You now have tomove on to the next step before you can vote. If you answeredNo, the state of Mississippi has deemed you too ignorant of U.S.facts to let you vote. Im sorry, but the ballot is closed to you.

Oh, by the way, you know the white man who took the test rightnext to you? His test consisted of one question: Who is the currentPresident of the United States? He is allowed to vote, and you arenot.

1. What is your reaction to the literacy test?

2. Look at your answer to the question about stupidity and votingfrom before the test. Has your opinion changed now? Why orwhy not?

3. Why was the literacy test effective in preventing African-Americans from voting?


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In an amazing stroke of luck, there was a bureaucratic mix-up at theStarkville Board of Elections, and it turns out that your literacy testwas marked as passed. You now have the opportunity to show upto the polls on election day! Huzzah!

So, you have to get to the polls. Think back to the study of the Black

Codes. What were some of the things that were crimes if you wereAfrican-American?

Yes, one of them was _______________. So, it would probably notbe a good idea to walk the over 20 miles to the nearest polling place(after all, they put the station faraway from where blacks lived) byyourself; you might be accused of being _______________ and

thrown in jail.

Plus, look at these statistics:

Lynchings: By State and Race, 1882-1968

Mississippi

White

42

Black

539

Total

581

Lynchings: By Year and Race

1890

White

11

Black

85

Total

961891 71 113 184

1892 69 161 230

1893 34 118 152

1894 58 134 192

1895 66 113 179

1896 45 78 123

1. What challenges in terms of transportation and intimidation

would an African-American face on the way to the polls?

2. Why do you think this was effective in preventing blacks fromvoting?


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Boy, you sure were brave to risk arrest and lynching in order to getto the polls and vote. But its election day, and youre here! Thewhite poll workers are all giving you nasty looks, but hey, you passedthe test and got to the polls, so now its time to vote. All you need todo is take care of one thing.

The last step in your voting odyssey is the____________________________________.According to the state of Mississippi, the reasonthey have the ____________________ is tohelp pay for the cost of running elections.

Can you guess another, more devious reason,for the __________________?

Regardless, you have to pay the ________________. Here inStarkville, the cost is $15. Look on the last page of your packet, andcollect the money you have to pay the tax.

Check the box below if you could afford to pay the tax:Yes ________ No _______

If you checked YesCongratulations! At this point, all you have todo is step into the curtain and cast your vote. Democracy really doeswork!If you checked Nosorry, no voting for you this time. Save up alittle and try again in a few years (of course, youll have to pass awhole new literacy test again). And be safe getting back home

1. What is your reaction to the poll tax? Were you able to vote?

2. How was the poll tax effective in preventing African-Americansfrom voting?

3. The poll tax was not officially banned until the 24th Amendmentin 1964. Why do you think it took so long to be eliminated?


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FINALLY! Youve passed a test, walked to the polls at the threat ofdeath, paid a tax that has nearly (if not entirely) bankrupted you, butyou can now go into the curtain and vote.

Youre walking to the voting booth when a Starkville Sheriffs Deputypolitely pulls you aside. He tells you that using some accidentally

leaked information from your voting application, the Ku Klux Klan hasgone to your house and is holding your wife hostage. He tells youthat, in his opinion, it would be a good idea for you to go straighthome and avoid any funny business.

The message is clear to you. You leave, and do not vote.

1. Overall, how would you describethe Jim Crow era in the United

States?

2. Jim Crow laws are famous forbeing all-encompassing; Jim Crowtruly was a way of life forAfrican-Americans in the South

after Reconstruction. What is onepolitical, one social, and oneeconomic right that the Jim Crowlaws took away?

3. Prediction: What do you think is the legacy of Jim Crow inmodern day America?


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Elie Weisel, a Holocaust survivor, once said that"The opposite of love is not hate, it'sindifference. The opposite of beauty is notugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faithis not heresy, it's indifference. And the oppositeof life is not death, but indifference between lifeand death."

This quote also applies to the Jim Crow era inthe South; while the Southern states are clearlyculpable in this oppression, is there anyone elseto blame?

In a well-developed essay, you will use the ElieWeisel quote and the activities from today to prove or disprove the followingthesis: Is the North equally as responsible for the Jim Crow era as theSouth? You may want to consider the following:

Actions (or inactions) by the Supreme Court or Congress

The abandonment of Reconstruction after the Compromise of 1877

Your essay should also include at least twoof the topics discussed in the packet.

The essay will be worth 20 points, and is due on _________________________.

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Jim Crow and Voting

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