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Difficulty: MediumThe New South and Jim Crow

"Individual invasion of individual rights is not the subject-matter of the [Fourteenth] amendment. It has a deeper and broader scope. It nullifies and makes void all State legislation, and State action of every kind, which impairs the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States... It does not authorize Congress to create a code of municipal law for the regulation of private rights; but to provide modes of redress against the operation of State laws, and the action of State officers..."

— Justice Joseph P. Bradley, majority opinion in the *Civil Rights Cases* (1883)

Which of the following was a direct consequence of the Supreme Court decision excerpted above?

  1. A
    The immediate deployment of federal troops to Southern states to protect voter registration
  2. B
    The invalidation of state-level laws that established poll taxes and literacy tests
  3. The expansion of racial segregation in private businesses and public accommodations throughout the SouthAnswer
  4. D
    The establishment of a federal regulatory agency to oversee industrial working conditions

Answer

The expansion of racial segregation in private businesses and public accommodations throughout the South
The correct answer is correct because the Civil Rights Cases of 1883 established the 'state action doctrine,' ruling that the Fourteenth Amendment only restricted discriminatory actions by state governments, not by private citizens or businesses. This judicial narrowing of the amendment's protections directly facilitated the systemic implementation of Jim Crow segregation in theaters, restaurants, hotels, and transportation across the South.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document.
The document is an excerpt from the Supreme Court's majority opinion in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, stating that the Fourteenth Amendment applies to 'State action' and does not authorize Congress to regulate private discrimination.
Understanding the core ruling is necessary to identify its historical consequences.
2
Identify the historical context and legal implications.
By limiting the Fourteenth Amendment to state-sponsored segregation, the Court opened the door for private business owners and public transport providers to legally exclude or segregate African Americans.
This links the legal reasoning to the practical application of Jim Crow segregation in the post-Reconstruction South.
3
Evaluate the options based on historical chronology and effects.
The correct response identifies the growth of racial segregation in private businesses. Other choices describe events that occurred prior to 1883 (troop deployment) or are legally inaccurate (invalidation of poll taxes, or workplace regulation).
Selecting the option that matches the historical impact of the 1883 decision.

Key Concept

Legal segregation and the narrowing of the Fourteenth Amendment during the Jim Crow era
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The New South and Jim Crow

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