The laws that supported discrimination based on race were primarily the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted in the United States between the 1870s and 1960s that enforced racial segregation and perpetuated racial discrimination against African Americans. These laws were named after minstrel show character stereotypes and regulated various aspects of daily life, such as separate public facilities, schools, transportation, and housing, effectively enforcing racial segregation and denying equal rights and opportunities to African Americans. It is important to note that while these laws were legal at the time, they were morally and ethically wrong and violated the principles of equal rights and justice for all.
