List of Jim Crow law examples by state facts for kids

A Black American drinks from a segregated water cooler in 1939 at a streetcar terminal in Oklahoma City.

Jim Crow laws were rules and laws in the United States that were in place from 1877 to 1965. These laws made it legal to separate people based on their race, especially African Americans and white people. They were supposed to create "separate but equal" facilities, but in reality, the facilities for African Americans were almost always worse. These laws caused many problems in areas like money, education, and social life.

The Supreme Court of the United States said that separate schools for different races were illegal in 1954, in a famous case called Brown v. Board of Education. Laws that stopped people of different races from marrying (called Anti-miscegenation laws) were ended in 1967 by the case of Loving v. Virginia. Most of these segregation and discrimination laws were finally made illegal by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

How Did Jim Crow Laws Affect Daily Life?

Jim Crow laws touched almost every part of life for African Americans. They were designed to keep white and Black people apart and to make sure white people had more power. Here are some examples of how these laws worked in different states:

Alabama's Segregated Spaces

• In 1934, a law in Alabama said that restaurants had to separate white and Black customers. They needed a solid wall at least seven feet high between them and separate entrances from the street.
• The Alabama constitution from 1901 also made sure that schools for African Americans and white people were kept separate.

Arizona's Marriage and School Rules

• Starting in 1864, Arizona made it illegal for white people to marry Black people or Native Americans. This law was changed in 1901 to include "descendants" and to stop people from going to other states just to get married.
• In 1909, school leaders could separate Black students from white students if there were more than eight Black students in a school district.
• By 1927, if there were 25 or more Black high school students, people could vote on whether to have separate schools for them.
• Arizona also had laws that stopped white people from marrying people of Asian or Malay descent.

California's Focus on Asian Immigrants

California's Jim Crow laws often targeted Asian immigrants more than African Americans.

• In 1850, a law said that Black, mixed-race, or Native American people could not speak as witnesses in court for or against a white person. This was later extended to people of Chinese descent.
• California's constitution also said that "no native of China" could vote in the state.
• From 1866 to 1947, California passed many laws about marriage between races and separate schools. For example, a 1901 law made it illegal for white people to marry "Mongolians" (a term used for people of East Asian descent).
• In the 1860s and 1880s, children of "Negroes, Mongolians, and Indians" had to go to separate schools. Sometimes, if there weren't enough students, they found other ways to educate them separately.
• In 1879, a law said that "no native of China" could ever vote in California. This was finally removed in 1926.
• Also in 1879, public groups were not allowed to hire Chinese people.
• In 1890, San Francisco ordered all Chinese residents to move to a specific area of the city. This was later found to be against the law.
• In 1913, laws called "Alien Land Laws" stopped Asian immigrants from owning or renting land. These laws were ended in 1952.

Colorado's Marriage Laws

• In 1864, Colorado made marriages between Black people and white people illegal. People who broke this law could face fines or jail time.
• Colorado passed three Jim Crow laws between 1864 and 1908, all about marriage between races.
• The state stopped school segregation in 1876 and ended segregation in public places in 1885.

Connecticut's Military and Education Rules

• In 1879, Connecticut allowed the state to create separate military companies for "colored men."
• In 1935, a law from 1869 that allowed school segregation was upheld.

Florida's Strict Segregation

Preserved 1928-built railroad station in Punta Gorda, Florida, with separate White and "Colored" entrances.

• Florida had very strict laws. One law said that any romantic relationship between a white person and a Black person was always against the law.
• Another law made it illegal for a Black man and a white woman (or vice versa) who were not married to live together in the same room at night. They could be fined or jailed.
• Florida's constitution from 1885 said that "The schools for white children and the schools for Negro children shall be conducted separately."
• In 1865, a railroad law said that Black or mixed-race people who went into a train car for white people were breaking the law. White people faced the same penalty for entering a car for people of color.
• In 1887, railroads had to sell first-class tickets to "all respectable Negro persons" at the same price as white passengers. They also had to provide a separate car that was just as good and comfortable as the white car.
• In 1895, it became a crime for anyone to run a school, public or private, where white and Black students were taught or lived in the same building or class.
• By 1905, all streetcars had to separate the races.
• In 1907, railroad stations had to provide separate waiting rooms and ticket windows for each race.
• In 1913, it was illegal for white teachers to teach in Black schools, and for Black teachers to teach in white schools.
• In 1958, a law said that races had to be separated on public transportation.
• In 1967, the city of Sarasota passed a rule that if people of two or more races were on a public beach, the police chief had to clear the area of everyone.

Illinois's Housing Restrictions

• In 1927, Chicago started using housing rules that limited where people of different races could live. These rules were later found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1948.

Indiana's Laws on Marriage and Adoption

• Indiana passed laws about education and marriage between races between 1869 and 1952. Breaking the marriage law could lead to long jail sentences.
• The state stopped school segregation in 1877 and allowed equal access to public places in 1885.
• In 1955, a law said that a child's race should be considered when they were adopted.

Kansas's School Segregation

• Segregation laws in Kansas mainly focused on education. The state's constitution from 1859 said there should be separate schools for African American children. This continued until 1954.

Kentucky's Many Rules

• In 1866, Kentucky made it a serious crime for white people to marry anyone who was more than 12% African American.
• Also in 1866, school leaders could create separate schools for African American children.
• In 1873, it was against the law for a Black child to go to a white school, or a white child to go to a Black school.
• By 1890, all railway companies had to provide separate but equal places for white and Black passengers. People who didn't follow this could be fined or jailed.
• In 1894, railroad stations had to have separate waiting rooms for white and Black passengers.
• In 1904, it became illegal to run any college or school where white and African American people were both allowed to attend.
• In 1908, it was against the law for white and Black people to buy and drink alcohol in the same place.
• In 1912, building permits were not given for Black houses in white neighborhoods, or white houses in Black neighborhoods.
• In 1914, circuses and shows had to have two ticket offices and two entrances for each race.
• In 1918, races were separated in all city, county, and state prisons.
• In 1928, separate textbooks were given to white and African American school children.
• In 1932, it was illegal for people or businesses to rent an apartment in a building to someone of a different race than the other people living there.
• In 1933, separate libraries for different races were allowed.
• In 1942, nursing homes had to provide separate but equal places for white and African American people.
• In 1951, interracial adoptions were banned.
• In 1956, all public parks, recreation centers, and playgrounds had to be segregated.
• In 1956, businesses were not allowed to let white and African American people dance, socialize, play sports, or compete together on their property.
• In 1960, the race of all candidates had to be written on ballots.

Louisiana's Separate Car Act

• In 1890, Louisiana passed a "separate car act" for trains. Breaking this law was a crime that could lead to a fine or jail time.
• In 1900, it became a crime to rent part of a building to a Black person or family if a white person or family already lived there, and vice versa.

Maryland's Railroad Segregation

• In 1904, all railroad companies in Maryland had to provide separate cars for white and Black passengers.

Massachusetts's Early Segregation

• The term "Jim Crow Law" was first used in 1841 in Massachusetts for a law that made railways provide a separate car for Black passengers.
• In 1705, Massachusetts made a law stopping marriage between Black or mixed-race people and white people.
• From 1840 to 1850, public schools in some Massachusetts cities were separated by race. However, in 1855, segregation in public education was officially ended in Massachusetts.

Mississippi's Strict Rules on Information and Public Places

• Mississippi had laws that made it a crime to print or write anything that supported social equality or marriage between white and Black people.
• Any public place like a theater or movie show had to separate white and Black people and set aside specific seats for each race.
• Railroad conductors had the power to assign white or Black passengers to their specific car or compartment.
• The Racial Integrity Act of 1924 was also in place.

Missouri's School Segregation

• Missouri laws said that "Separate free schools shall be established for the education of children of African descent; and it shall be unlawful for any colored child to attend any white school, or any white child to attend a colored..."

Montana's Marriage and Voting Laws

• Montana passed four Jim Crow laws between 1871 and 1921. The school segregation law was ended in 1895.
• A 1909 law made marriage between white people and Black, Chinese, or Japanese people illegal.
• In 1897, a law said that people living on Native American or military reservations could not vote unless they had a home in a county and worked for the government.

Nebraska's Marriage Restrictions

• In 1865, Nebraska declared marriage between white people and Black or mixed-race people illegal.
• Later laws in 1911, 1929, and 1943 continued to make marriage between white people and those of Black or Asian descent illegal.

Nevada's Wide-Ranging Prohibitions

• Nevada passed laws about marriage between races and school segregation between 1865 and 1957.
• The education law said that Black, Asian, and Native American people could not go to public schools. Separate schools would be set up for them if needed.
• Nevada's marriage laws listed many groups that white people could not marry, including people of "Ethiopian or black race, Malay or brown race, Mongolian or yellow race, or Indian or red race." These laws were ended in 1959.

New Mexico's School Separation

• New Mexico laws stated that "Separate rooms [shall] be provided for the teaching of pupils of African descent, and [when] said rooms are so provided, such pupils may not be admitted to the school rooms occupied and used by pupils of Caucasian or others descent."

North Carolina's Library and School Rules

Sign for bus segregation in North Carolina.

• In 1889, a law said that school books could not be shared between white and Black schools.
• The state librarian was told to create and keep a separate area for Black people to use the library and read books.

North Dakota's Education and Marriage Laws

• North Dakota passed three Jim Crow laws. A 1943 law against marriage between races was ended in 1955.
• In 1933, a law said that it was not a good idea for Native American children to mix with white children in schools because of their different ways of life.

Ohio's Changing Laws

• Ohio passed laws about marriage between races in 1877 and school segregation in 1878.
• However, segregation in public places was stopped in 1884, and the earlier marriage and school segregation laws were overturned in 1887.
• In 1953, Ohio passed a law that said race should be considered in adoption decisions.

Oklahoma's Unique Segregation

• In 1928, the Conservation Commission in Oklahoma had the right to separate white and Black people for fishing, boating, and bathing.
• In 1937, the Corporation Commission could require telephone companies to have separate phone booths for white and Black customers if there was a demand for them.

Oregon's Marriage and Voting Rules

• Oregon passed two laws in 1867 and 1930 that made it illegal for white people to marry Black people, Chinese people, or people with a certain amount of Native American or Kanaka blood.
• A 1953 law said that adoption requests had to state the race of the parents who wanted to adopt.
• In 1924, a law required voters to be able to read the Constitution in English.

Pennsylvania's School Segregation

• In 1869, Black children were not allowed to attend schools in Pittsburgh.

Rhode Island's Marriage Prohibition

• In 1872, Rhode Island made marriage between races illegal. Breaking this law could lead to a fine or jail time.

South Carolina's Detailed Segregation

• South Carolina had very specific laws. Restaurants at train stations could not serve white and Black passengers in the same room, at the same table, or at the same counter.
• Electric railways outside of cities could separate races in their cars.
• Circuses had to have two main entrances for white and Black people.
• Textile factories were not allowed to let workers of different races work in the same room, use the same doors at the same time, use the same pay windows, or use the same stairs, bathrooms, or drinking fountains.
• It was illegal for any white person to give a white child permanently into the care of a Black person.
• Marriage between white people and people of Indian or Black races was completely illegal and void.

South Dakota's Marriage and Adoption Laws

• South Dakota passed three laws about marriage between races between 1809 and 1913.
• A 1913 law expanded the list of races that white people could not marry to include people from "African, Korean, Malayan, or Mongolian race." This law was ended in 1957.
• In 1952, a law said that adoption requests had to state the race of both the person asking to adopt and the child.

Tennessee's Many Segregation Laws

• Tennessee passed 20 Jim Crow laws between 1866 and 1955. These included laws for school segregation, laws against marriage between races, and laws separating people on trains and streetcars.
• In 1866, separate schools were required for white and Black children.
• In 1869, while Black students could attend the University of Tennessee, their learning and living spaces had to be separate from white students.
• In 1870, marriage between white people and Black people was made a serious crime.
• In 1875, hotel owners and public entertainment places could control who entered and exclude people, just like a private person could control their own home.
• In 1881, railroad companies had to provide separate cars for Black passengers who paid first-class rates.
• In 1901, it was illegal for any school or college to allow white and Black people to attend the same school.
• In 1905, all streetcars had to have separate sections for white and Black passengers.
• In 1932, a law defined "Negro" as any person with any Black blood.
• In 1955, public transportation had to be segregated.
• Also in 1955, mines had to have separate washrooms, and hospitals for people with mental illness had to have separate buildings for Black and white patients.

Texas's Extensive Laws

• Texas passed 29 Jim Crow laws. One law in 1871 that stopped segregation on public transportation was later removed in 1889.
• In 1866, a law said that all taxes paid by African Americans would go to supporting African schools.
• Also in 1866, all railroad companies had to add a passenger car especially for freedmen (formerly enslaved people).
• In 1876, voters had to pay a poll tax to vote.
• In 1879, a law confirmed that marriage between races was illegal.
• In 1889, railroad companies had to have separate coaches for white and Black passengers that were equally comfortable.
• In 1907, all streetcars had to follow the separate coach law.
• In 1909, train stations had to provide separate waiting areas for white and Black passengers.
• In 1914, a law said that Black porters could not sleep in sleeping car beds or use bedding meant for white passengers.
• In 1919, Black people had to use separate branches of county libraries.
• In 1922, a law said that "in no event shall a Negro be eligible to participate in a Democratic party primary election." This was overturned in 1927.
• In 1925, racially segregated schools were required.
• In 1935, a state hospital for people with tuberculosis was created specifically for Black people.
• In 1949, coal mines had to have separate washrooms.
• In 1950, state parks had to have separate facilities for white and Black citizens.
• In 1958, a law said that no child had to attend racially mixed schools, and desegregation needed to be approved by an election.

Utah's Marriage Laws

• Utah passed five laws about marriage between races between 1851 and 1953, stopping marriage between white people and those of African or Asian descent.
• School segregation was stopped in 1895. The state's law against marriage between races was ended in 1963.
• In 1851, a law made intimate relationships between any white person and "any of the African race" illegal.
• In 1888, marriage between a Black person and a white person, and between a "Mongolian" and a white person, was illegal.

Virginia's Racial Purity Laws

• Virginia had laws that made it a serious crime to lie about a person's race on official forms.
• Marriage licenses would not be given until it was clear that the racial information for both the man and woman was correct. If there was doubt about someone being "pure white," the license would be held until proof was given.
• It was illegal for any white person in Virginia to marry anyone except another white person, or a person with only white and American Indian blood. A "white person" was defined as someone with no trace of any blood other than Caucasian. People with a very small amount of American Indian blood (one-sixteenth or less) and no other non-Caucasian blood were still considered white.

Washington State's Housing Discrimination

• Washington State passed a law in 1866 that made marriage between white people and Black people or Native Americans illegal. This law was ended in 1887.
• Six civil rights laws that stopped segregation were passed between 1890 and 1956.
• In 1896, the constitution said that "Indians not taxed shall never be allowed the elective franchise" (the right to vote).
• Starting in the 1920s, real estate agents in Seattle often discriminated against minority groups. For example, some housing agreements said that properties could "never be used or occupied by or sold, conveyed, leased, rented or given to Negroes or any person of Negro blood."
• Until 1950, the Code of Ethics for real estate agents in Seattle said that a real estate agent should never help introduce people of any race or nationality into a neighborhood if their presence would harm property values.
• In 1964, Seattle voters rejected a proposal to stop housing discrimination. However, in 1968, the city council passed an open housing law, making these restrictive agreements illegal.

West Virginia's Constitutional Segregation

• In 1863, a law against marriage between races was included in West Virginia's state constitution. This was overturned in 1967.
• In 1872, the state constitution said: "White and colored persons shall not be taught in the same school." This rule was in the constitution until 1994.
• In 1873, Black citizens were not allowed to serve on juries. This was overturned in 1880.

Wyoming's School and Marriage Laws

• In 1887, separate schools could be provided for Black children if there were 15 or more Black children in a school district.
• In 1889, voters had to be able to read the state Constitution.
• In 1908, all marriages between white people and Black people, mixed-race people, Mongolians, or Malayans were illegal and void in Wyoming.
• In 1931, a law said that schools should only be segregated if there were 15 or more Black children in a district.
• In 1945, marriage between white people and Black people, mixed-race people, Mongolians, or Malayans was made illegal. Breaking this law could lead to fines or jail time.