All Laws Arent Good Laws

All Laws Are Not Good Laws

Jim Crow laws were laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. These laws discriminated against Blacks in several ways such as: attendance in public schools and the use of public areas such as restaurants, theaters, hotels, cinemas and restrooms. Trains and buses were also segregated. In many states marriage between whites and African American people was not allowed. Woodward argues that these laws were a new concept of separating the two races. In The Strange Career Of Jim Crow , Woodward discusses the three alternatives to segregation, which are: Liberalism, Conservatism and Radicalism.

The liberal theory stated that everyone should be on equal terms. Liberalism was the same form of political rights. It introduced the new idea to southern thinking. That was more common away from urban and industrial places, unlike rural, agricultural south. Liberals were a small group of intellectuals on the side the political structure. George Washington Cable and Lewis Harvie Blaire were two representatives of Liberalism.

Conservativism attracted the widest range of support. This guaranteed blacks more rights than usual but they received limited rights. In understanding conservation, blacks were continued to be below the whites. The thought of that was to value class over

House 2

race. One aristocrat, "Wade Hampton had often boasted that he was 'the first white man

in the South, after Civil War, to advocate giving the Negro the franchise' and once declared his belief that 'a large majority of the intelligent and reflecting whites' agreed with him on the subject" (Woodward 53). Hampton symbolizes the redemption of conservativism.

When talking about conservativism, paternalism comes to mind. Paternalism was the hierarchy society. They thought of the situation as not all whites are the same and not all blacks are the same. Conservatists did not believe in segregation, one race over the other, subordinate but not separate view of rare relations. Redeemers were the classic conservatives.

The radical alternative was the one that would have changed the landscape of the South the most. The populist party was one united party, that was not segregated by race, during this time. Black and white candidates ran for all offices and made public appearances. Both races were poor. The poorest whites, "crackers", were considered the overseers of the blacks and were the ones who handled the troubled situations, such as: discipline and long work hours. The master only showed up to present clothes and gifts to the blacks.

For blacks to associate with crackers, the crackers had to prove they were serious and committed to changing the system. The crackers passed several platforms. The first platform called for the abolishment