🎁BACK-TO-SCHOOL DEAL. Subscribe Now to get 40% OFF at only 8.49 USD/month, only valid until Sep 30th, 2024

Question

Question
What devices were used to disenfranchise African Americans?

Asked By GoldenEagle31 at

Answered By Expert

Roy

Expert · 2.1k answers · 2k people helped

Answer

1. Literacy Tests 2. Poll Taxes 3. White Primary Elections 4. Violence and Intimidation 5. Property and Vagrancy Laws

Explanation

After the American Civil War, various methods were used to disenfranchise African Americans and suppress their newly-acquired rights, especially voting rights. Some of the most common devices used include:1. Literacy Tests: These were administered to potential voters purportedly to test their literacy skills. However, the tests were often administered unfairly and used as a tool to prevent African Americans from voting.2. Poll Taxes: These were fees that citizens had to pay in order to vote. Since many African Americans were poor, this effectively prevented them from voting.3. White Primary Elections: In some states, only white citizens were allowed to participate in the primary elections, which determined which candidates would run in the general elections. This meant that African Americans had no say in who would be running for office.4. Violence and Intimidation: Many African Americans were intimidated or threatened with violence if they attempted to vote. This created a climate of fear that discouraged many from exercising their voting rights.5. Property and Vagrancy Laws: These laws were used to arrest African Americans and other poor citizens, keeping them in jail until they could pay for their release. This effectively prevented them from voting.These methods were part of a larger system of racial discrimination and segregation that persisted in the United States for many years. It was not until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that many of these discriminatory practices were outlawed.