1. Poll taxes: Many states in the South implemented poll taxes, which required individuals to pay a fee in order to vote. This effectively disenfranchised many African Americans who could not afford to pay the tax.
2. Literacy tests: Some states administered literacy tests as a requirement for voting. These tests were often subjective and designed to prevent African Americans from being able to vote.
3. Grandfather clauses: Some states implemented grandfather clauses, which exempted individuals from requirements such as literacy tests and poll taxes if their grandfathers had been eligible to vote before the Civil War. Since African Americans were not allowed to vote during that time, they were effectively excluded from voting by these clauses.
4. White primaries: In some Southern states, the Democratic Party, which dominated politics in the region, held "white primaries" that excluded African Americans from participating in the primary election process, effectively denying them the ability to participate in the general election.
5. Jim Crow laws: These laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination, which created barriers for African Americans in many aspects of life, including voting. The overall climate of racism and discrimination perpetuated by Jim Crow laws made it difficult for African Americans to exercise their right to vote.
What were examples of
discriminatory laws
passed to limit African
American voting?
(Fighting Discrimination)
1 answer