Former Vice President Joe Biden charged Saturday that Jim Crow is 'sneaking back in' as he emphasized the need to ensure voting rights are protected, which he said is lacking under the Trump administration.

Biden drew several hundred people to a community center in Columbia as he opened his presidential campaign in South Carolina, home of the first-in-the-South primary and where black voters play a major role in the Democratic nominating process.

In criticizing Republican attempts to reconfigure voting rules, including establishing identification requirements, Biden recalled the racial segregation laws of the past known as Jim Crow.

Presidential hopeful Joe Biden, (left), has attacked Donald Trump, (right), for letting 'Jim Crow sneak back in' by attempting to reconfigure voting rules in his latest campaign appearance

'You've got Jim Crow sneaking back in,' he said, and added: 'You know what happens when you have an equal right to vote? They lose.'

Biden centered much of his speech around the need to restore decency to the White House, continuing to make his campaign a full-throttle assault against President Donald Trump.

'Quite frankly, I've had it up to here,' he said. 'Your state motto is, "While I breathe, I hope." It's not a joke. We're breathing, but God, we have got to have hope.'

Biden's initial campaign agenda to South Carolina included a fundraiser and a Sunday morning visit to a black church in Columbia.

He opened his latest run for president with explicit appeals to white, working-class voters across the Midwest, pledging his support for unions and promising to rebuild the middle class.

Now, Biden is trying to gauge whether his message will resonate among black voters whose backing will be crucial in South Carolina and elsewhere.

Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. The laws, which existed for about 100 years from the post-Civil War era until 1964, were meant to return Southern states to a two-tier class structure by marginalizing black Americans.

Biden recalled racial segregation laws of the pasts as he took a swipe at Trump. He is pictured taking photos with supporters following the first rally of his 2020 campaign on Saturday

Biden centered much of his speech around the need to restore decency to the White House

The dawn of the 20th century saw states across the south ratcheting up Jim Crow laws, which affected every part of daily life.

Laws forbade African Americans from living in white neighborhoods and segregation was enforced in most public areas.

Signs posted at town and city limits warning African Americans that they were not welcome were also a familiar sight. The post-World War II era then saw an increase in civil rights activities in the black community, with a focus on ensuring that black citizens were able to vote.

This heralded the era of the Civil Rights Movement which resulted in the gradual removal of Jim Crow laws in various states.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which legally ended discrimination and segregation that became entrenched in American society.

Biden claimed the Trump administration was allowing 'Jim Crow to sneak back in.' He was referring to a set of laws that legalized racial segregation. The regime existed for about 100 years from the post-Civil War era until 1964 with the start of the Civil Rights Movement

Laws also forbade African Americans from living in white neighborhoods and segregation was enforced in most public areas across the South

Meanwhile the latest poll of Democrat presidential primary voters shows a surge in support for Joe Biden, who has opened up a thirty point-lead over Senator Bernie Sanders.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll poll was conducted from April 30 to May 1, just days after Biden announced he would be joining the crowded Democratic field for the 2020 election.

Biden led the field with 44 per cent of respondents indicating that they were 'most likely' to vote for him in the primary election. Sanders logged 14 per cent.

Following those two were: Senator Kamala Harris with 9 per cent, Senator Elizabeth Warren with 5 per cent, and Senator Cory Booker tied with Beto O'Rourke at 3 per cent.

The latest poll of Democrat presidential primary voters shows a surge in support for Joe Biden, who has opened up a thirty point-lead over Senator Bernie Sanders. He is pictured posing for photos with audience members during a rally in Des Moines on Wednesday

Biden has attacked many of the policy areas and changes presided over Donald Trump, (pictured), since launching his presidential campaign last month

'The Biden surge is significant and greater than expected,' Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, told The Hill. 'His launch was super successful and he has opened up a significant lead.'

The new survey was conducted online and included 1,536 registered voters. Of those, 259 self-identified Democrats were asked about the party's primary field, and the results were weighted for demographics.

This weekend, Biden is focusing his 2020 White House campaign on South Carolina while several other Democratic candidates are spending time in Iowa, another early-voting state.

He opened his latest run for president with explicit appeals to white, working-class voters across the Midwest, pledging his support for unions and promising to rebuild the middle class.

Iowa is the focus this weekend for some of his rivals, including Warren, Sanders, O'Rourke and Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper are campaigning in New Hampshire.