C. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career of Jim Crow Essay

C. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career of Jim Crow In the field of history, it is rare that an author actually comes to shape the events discussed in their writing. However, this was the case for C. Vann Woodward and his book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow. First published in 1955, it discusses this history of race relations in America, more specifically the Jim Crow laws he equates with the segregation of races. Woodward argues that segregation itself was a fairly new development within the South, and did not begin until after Reconstruction ended. He further argues that since the South has seen so much change, citing the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the development of the Jim Crow laws, it is possible for more changes to†¦show more content†¦There was, in fact, a great deal of contact between whites and blacks in the slave South. Instead, he argues, the Jim Crow system of â€Å"white supremacy, Negro subordination, and racial segregation† originated in the North, and emancipation led to increased separation of the races. The established system of segregation in the North moved to the South during and after Reconstruction. However, Reconstruction was, he argues, a unique period in history during which each race was figuring out its place in the new social system, and can therefore not be related to either the era of slavery or of Jim Crow. Instead, during Reconstruction, there were alternatives which Woodward argues are often forgotten. Before their attitudes became degrading, whites were more paternalistic towards blacks. He ensures that he is by no means arguing that this was a â€Å"golden age of race relations†, however, he does argue that â€Å"the era of stiff conformity and fanatical rigidity that was to come had not yet closed in and shut off all contact between the races†¦[and] there were still real choices to be made.† Though it is easy to assume that the transition to the extremely racist era of Jim Crow was due to a conversion of opinion, Woodward argues that it was instead due to a decrease in opposition. He states that â€Å"Just as the Negro gained his emancipation and new rights through a falling out between white men, he now stood to lose his rights through the reconciliation of whiteShow MoreRelatedEssay on C. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career Of Jim Crow1497 Words   |  6 PagesC. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career Of Jim Crow C. Vann Woodward illuminates one of the â€Å"ugliest† aspects of American societal history in his book The Strange Career of Jim Crow. His book is an overview of the development of the Jim Crow system, a set of racist laws put in place around the turn of the nineteenth century. Interestingly his book tracks the evolution of racism throughout American history. He not only shows where and when racism is developing but the different ways that the racismRead MoreEssay on The Strange Career of Jim Crow1336 Words   |  6 PagesThe Strange Career of Jim Crow C. Vann Woodward’s book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, has been hailed as a book which shaped our views of the history of the Civil Rights Movement and of the American South. 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Assumptions about the Jim Crow’s career have existedRead MoreThe Strange Career Of Jim Crow Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesComer Vann Woodward  was an  American  historian who concentration emphasized on the American south and race relations in the united states. He was born in 1908 in eastern, rural Arkansas. He attended  Henderson-Brown College, in  Arkadelphia, Arkansas for two years. He then transferred to  Emory University  in  Atlanta,  Georgia in which his uncle was dean of students and a sociology professor. After Woodward graduated from Emory university, he became an English professor at Georgia Institute of TechnologyRead MoreHistorical Methodology2034 Words   |  9 PagesHistorical Methodology The Strange Career of Jim Crow, by C. Van Woodward, traces the history of race relations in the United States from the mid and late nineteenth century through the twentieth century. In doing so Woodward brings to light significant aspects of Reconstruction that remain unknown to many today. He argues that the races were not as separate many people believe until the Jim Crow laws. To set up such an argument, Woodward first outlines the relationship between Southern and