To place the events leading to the Jim Crow Segregation Laws in chronological order, here is a brief overview of key events:
-
Civil War (1861-1865) - The conflict fought primarily over the issues of slavery and states' rights.
-
Emancipation Proclamation (1863) - Issued by President Abraham Lincoln, it declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.
-
13th Amendment (1865) - Ratified in December 1865, this amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
-
Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) - A period during which the United States focused on rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society. It included efforts to provide full citizenship and equal protection under the law.
-
14th Amendment (1868) - Ratified in July 1868, this amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection under the law.
-
15th Amendment (1870) - Ratified in February 1870, this amendment prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
-
End of Reconstruction (1877) - The Withdrawal of federal troops from the South marked the end of Reconstruction, which led to the rise of white supremacist groups and the beginning of efforts to enforce segregation and disenfranchisement.
-
Rise of Jim Crow Laws (late 19th century) - In the 1880s and 1890s, many southern states began enacting segregation laws that institutionalized racial discrimination and disenfranchisement of African Americans.
This sequence captures the critical events leading up to the establishment of Jim Crow laws in the Southern United States.