Final answer:
Jim Crow laws were a set of laws that legalized discrimination based on race in the southern United States from the late 1800s until 1965. They aimed to enforce white supremacy by preventing Black Americans from enjoying equal rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jim Crow laws were a set of laws enforced mostly in the southern United States from the late 1800s until 1965. These laws legalized discrimination based on race, preventing Black Americans from enjoying fundamental rights such as equal access to education and voting. The term 'Jim Crow' itself was derived from the stage name of a white actor who mocked African Americans during the antebellum period, reflecting the intent of these laws to enforce white supremacy.