Jim Crow laws were a broad set of local and state laws mandating racial segregation. The name “Jim Crow” came from a popular minstrel show. In the show, a racist depiction of a black character was played by a white actor in blackface. Jim Crow laws did not simply mean separate water fountains or sections of a bus. They included restrictions on where black people could live, whom they could marry and more. There were separate hotels, theaters, ticket booths and waiting areas for white and black people. Jim Crow also disenfranchised black people. The 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, granted African-American men, including former slaves, the right to vote. Nonetheless, by 1889 almost all Southern states had restricted the right to vote for black men.

Jim Crow laws would remain on the books for decades. More than laws, Jim Crow was also a set of customs. White people upheld what was considered the “acceptable” racial order. The most segregated places tended to have few actual laws, relying instead on rigid customs and threats of violence.

Based on the passage, which of the following is true of the 15th Amendment?

A
The passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 immediately gave federal protection to voting rights for all former slaves.

B
The 15th Amendment did not grant voting rights to former slaves, but many Southern states did.

C
In many places, state laws stood in the way of 15th Amendment rights.

D
The 15th Amendment was never passed or ratified.