Jim Crow law: Quick Facts
News •
Curtis Hampton: From Jim Crow to election night in Spokane
• Nov. 8, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (The Spokane Spokesman-Review)
Facts
| Date | c. 1877 - c. 1950 |
|---|---|
| Context | Separate but equal • Separate Car Act • Jim Crow |
Did You Know?
- Common Jim Crow laws included literary tests, poll taxes, and the grandfather clause, which were all restrictions on voting meant to keep black men from casting a ballot. Bans on interracial marriage and separation between races in public and places of business were also common parts of Jim Crow.
- The special relationship between Jim Crow laws and transit would make buses and trains a focus of anti-segregationists throughout the period of Jim Crow laws, especially during the American civil rights movement.
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Related Topics and References
Topics
African AmericansCitizens’ Committee to Test the Constitutionality of the Separate Car Lawthe SouthCivil Rights CasesToday in History—May 18: Day 2: Plessy v. FergusonWhat Is the Origin of the Term “Jim Crow”?Racial segregationCivil Rights Act of 1875
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Key People
Homer Plessy
American shoemaker
Ben Tillman
American politician
Mary Eliza Church Terrell
American social activist
