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After federal troops left the South, southern states enacted Jim
Crow laws. These laws segregated blacks and whites. Railroad
cars, restaurants, and many other places were segregated. These
laws were constitutional as long as states maintained “separate
but equal” facilities. Southern states exploited African
Americans by passing measures that prevented many of them
from voting. They enacted a poll tax, which required voters to
pay a tax to vote. Voters also had to pass literacy tests.
African Americans refused to accept their status as secondclass citizens. They established black newspapers, women’s
clubs, fraternal organizations, schools and colleges, and political associations. Former slave Ida B. Wells wrote articles
condemning the treatment of blacks and criticizing lynching.
Booker T. Washington argued that African Americans should
work with segregation. He recommended they build reputations
as hardworking and honest citizens. However, W.E.B. Du Bois
argued that blacks should demand equality immediately.
Chinese immigrants also faced racial prejudice. Congress
passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited Chinese
workers from entering the country. Chinese migrants turned to
the federal courts. In 1898, the Supreme Court ruled that citizenship could not be taken away from individuals of Chinese
descent who were born in the United States.
Mexican Americans also struggled against discrimination.
Despite guaranteed property rights, many Mexicans lost their
lands after the Mexican-American War because they were
unable to prove ownership. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, Las
Gorras Blancas (the White Caps) fought back. They engaged in
guerrilla warfare against the railroads and large ranchers.
Women continued to fight for the right to vote, to own
property, and to receive an education. Although women failed
to gain the vote, the number of women attending college
jumped dramatically.
Review Questions
1. What actions did southern states take to limit the rights of
African Americans?
2. How did African Americans respond to segregation?
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