The expression “to jump Jim Crow” means: To dance with a peculiar limping step.
Although, according to the Negro Year Book for 1925-26, the name “Jim Crow” was that of a Negro born in Richmond about 1800, later emancipated and, in England, acquiring “quite a fortune,” it is not probable that his name was in any way responsible for the application of that title to Negro discriminatory laws introduced, first, in Tennessee in 1875.
The title came, rather, from a popular song, copyrighted in 1828 by Thomas D. Rice, which became part of a skit, The Rifle, written by Solon Robinson.
The song and its accompanying dance, it is said, were based on the chance observance of an old Negro in Louisville, Kentucky, who shuffled as he sang, “Weel about, turn about, do jist so.”
In the skit, produced in Washington in 1835 and taken to London in 1836, where it became equally popular, Rice, in black-face, sang, as he danced:
First on de heel tap, den on de toe, Ebery time I wheel about I jump Jim Crow. Wheel about and turn about and do jis so, And ebery time I wheel about I jump Jim Crow.
Related Posts
-
Where does the phrase “Jim Crow” come from and What does it mean?
You can read about Thomas D. Rice in the encyclopedia. He was a comedian of a hundred years ago, turning to Negro minstrelsy almost at the outset of his theatrical career and rapidly…
-
What were Jim Crow laws and How was segregation mandated in all public facilities in Southern states?
After Reconstruction, southern states enacted laws that made it nearly impossible for blacks to vote, which meant that political power was now held solely by whites. Where the races had been previously separated…
-
How Did Crow’s Feathers Become Black In Australian Aboriginal Mythology and Why Was Eagle Suspicious of Crow?
During The Dreamtime, Crow's feathers were white. One morning, Crow told his best friend Eagle to go hunting in the hills for kangaroo. Crow said that he would search along the lake for…
-
How Did the Expression “Eat Crow” Originate and What Does the Phrase Mean?
The expression "to eat crow" came from an incident during the War of 1812 when the Americans invaded Canada. A hungry New England soldier who strayed across enemy lines had shot a crow…
-
How Did Jim Henson’s Muppets Get Their Name and When Did the Sesame Street Characters First Appear On TV?
The Muppets, who've had their own television show as well as a series of movies, are best known for their roles on Sesame Street, which first appeared in 1969. After 4,100 episodes, Sesame…
-
What does the phrase “to eat crow” mean and Where does it come from?
To abase oneself; be obliged to accept or do something extremely disagreeable. Though this homely American saying is not found in print prior to 1877, there is no doubt that it was in…
