Question

During the Jim Crow era in the southern United States, there was wide use of poll taxes, literacy tests, and residential requirements. The primary purpose of these laws can be best described as

Answer 1

The primary purpose of the poll taxes, literacy tests, and residential requirements during the Jim Crow era in the southern United States was to disenfranchise African Americans and prevent them from voting.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary purpose of the poll taxes, literacy tests, and residential requirements during the Jim Crow era in the southern United States was to disenfranchise African Americans and prevent them from voting.

The poll taxes were special fees that had to be paid before voting, which were often beyond the financial reach of African Americans. The literacy tests required voters to demonstrate a minimum standard of knowledge, but they were unfairly administered with more difficult tests given to African Americans than white voters. The residential requirements and grandfather clauses were used to exempt white voters from the literacy tests, further targeting African Americans.