AP African American Studies Flashcards: Disenfranchisement and Jim Crow Laws
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 14 cards to help you master important concepts.
What were Jim Crow laws?
They were local and state-level statutes, primarily in the South, that limited African American men's voting rights and enforced racial segregation in public spaces like hospitals, schools, and transportation.
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What were Jim Crow laws?
They were local and state-level statutes, primarily in the South, that limited African American men's voting rights and enforced racial segregation in public spaces like hospitals, schools, and transportation.
What was the origin of the term "Jim Crow"?
The term originated in the 1830s as a derogatory term for African Americans.
How did activists and the press collaborate to fight racism during the nadir?
Activists relied on sympathetic writers in the press to publicize the mistreatment and murder of African Americans, bringing attention to the violence.
What Supreme Court decision provided legal protection for Jim Crow laws?
The Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) provided protection for the state and local statutes that enforced racial segregation.
What was the stated purpose of Southern lynch laws, as highlighted by African American writers?
African American writers pointed out that these laws sought to justify the rampant, unjust killing of Black people.
How did Jim Crow laws impact African Americans after Reconstruction?
These laws severely limited African American men’s right to vote and enforced the racial segregation of nearly all public facilities, from hospitals and schools to cemeteries.
Besides segregation, what other fundamental right did Jim Crow laws limit for African Americans?
In addition to enforcing segregation, Jim Crow laws also limited African American men’s right to vote.
Until which historical movement did Jim Crow-era segregation laws remain in effect?
Jim Crow–era segregation restrictions would not be overturned until the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Identify two key areas of life directly impacted by Jim Crow segregation.
Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in public facilities such as hospitals, transportation, schools, and even cemeteries.
What characterized the period known as the "nadir"?
This period included some of the most flagrant public acts of racism in United States history, such as lynching and mob violence.
What is the "nadir" of American race relations?
It is the period between the end of Reconstruction and the start of WWII, considered the lowest point of American race relations due to flagrant public racism, lynching, and mob violence.
What time frame does the "nadir" of American race relations cover?
This period is defined as occurring between the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of the Second World War.
How did African American writers and journalists respond to anti-Black violence?
They highlighted the racism at the core of Southern lynch laws and worked with activists to publicize the mistreatment and murder of African Americans.
Describe a specific resistance strategy African American activists used against segregation.
African American activists responded to attacks on their freedom with resistance strategies such as trolley boycotts.