During the Jim Crow era, racial separation was maintained through both legal mandates and customary practices. Which of the following is the best example of de jure segregation?
- ACustomary residential patterns in Northern cities where landlords refused to rent to Black tenants in the absence of local segregation laws
- BThe constitutional clause permitting involuntary servitude as a punishment for convicted individuals
- State laws requiring separate railway cars for Black and white passengersAnswer
- DSharecropping contracts that obligated Black farmers to purchase supplies from landowners on credit, leading to persistent debt
Answer
State laws requiring separate railway cars for Black and white passengers represents de jure segregation because it was directly established and enforced by state law.
The correct answer is the option describing state laws requiring separate railway cars because 'de jure' means 'by law.' Segregated railway cars mandated by state statutes are a direct product of state-enforced legislation.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Distinction between de jure and de facto segregation during the Jim Crow era