How did the end of Reconstruction contribute to the emergence of Jim Crow laws?

• A. Federal protections expanded, preventing segregation.
• B. It had no impact on civil rights.
• C. Federal protections ended, allowing Southern states to implement Black-restrictive laws and segregation.
• D. It immediately granted universal voting rights.

Answer: (C)

When federal protection of Black rights receded as Reconstruction ended, Southern states could reassert white supremacy without strong federal intervention. After the Compromise of 1877, federal troops withdrew from the South and Reconstruction governments collapsed, leaving Southern governments to control political and social life. Although the constitutional amendments (like the 14th and 15th) remained on the books, their enforcement depended on federal power, which was now diminished. That gap allowed states to codify segregation and voter-disqualifying measures, giving rise to Jim Crow laws designed to maintain racial hierarchy in everyday life.