Question

Why did the southern states being passed jim crow laws when reconstruction ended

Answer 1

They wanted to create laws that didn't directly interfere with the laws that had been put forth by the government. Therefore they created laws that required 'humanly' things of people that the blacks wouldn't have had the chance to do. As an example, if you were to apply for a job your grandfather had to have also been employed. For more whites, this wasn't an issue. But for blacks, their grandparents may not have been in America, and if they were, they were most likely slaves.