Civil Rights Act of 1875 History for kids:
When were the
other Civil Rights Acts?
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was one
of many pieces of legislation that were entitled the Civil Rights Act.
Additional Civil Rights Acts were passed in the
Civil Rights
Act of 1866, the
1871 Civil Rights Act (aka
Enforcement Acts),
and the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and
1991.
Civil Rights Act of 1875 History for kids
The history of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 started with the
Civil Rights
Act of 1866 which had been
passed to protect ex-slaves from legislation in the Southern States
such as the Black
Codes. This had led to the emergence of white, militant
secret societies such as
Ku Klux Klan.
Congress passed the
Enforcement Acts to ensure the implementation and extend the
fundamental guarantees of the Constitution especially in respect of
the
13th
Amendment, passed in 1865, which abolished
slavery, the
14th Amendment passed in 1868 which related to
citizenship rights and the
15th
Amendment passed in 1870, that
declared the voting rights of of black male citizens.
What did the
Civil Rights Act of 1875 do?
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
protected all American citizens, regardless of race, in their access
to public accommodations and facilities such as churches,
cemeteries, public schools, theaters, restaurants, inns, trains and
other public transportation, and protected the right of all American
citizens to serve on juries. The provisions of the Civil Rights Act
of 1875 also included that all lawsuits brought under the new law
would be tried in federal, not state, courts and specified criminal
penalties for violations including fines between $500 - $1000 and up
to 30 days in jail.
Purpose of the
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1875
was to clarify and expand the equality and freedom of ex-slaves. The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 sought to guarantee African Americans "full
and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities
and privileges".
Who introduced the
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
was originally
introduced in 1870 by the radical Republican Senator Charles Sumner
of Massachusetts and Representative Benjamin F. Butler. Congress
passed the act in February 1875 and President Ulysses Grant signed
it into law on March 1, 1875.
The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 and the Constitution
When the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed was believed to be
supported under the 13th and 14th Amendments.
The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 declared Unconstitutional
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
was extremely controversial and practically ignored in the Southern
states. The law was rarely enforced, especially after the withdrawal
of federal troops from the South at the end of the Reconstruction
Era. Southern whites were also beginning to reassert control over
state legislatures and a series of five cases made their way to the
U.S. Supreme Court.
In
the 1883 Civil Rights Cases, the Supreme Court declared the Civil
Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional on the basis that, although the
14th Amendment prohibited discrimination by the state, it did not
give the state the power to prohibit discrimination by private
individuals. The 13th Amendment merely abolished slavery and
the 14th Amendment never intended to interfere with issues of
day-to-day governance within the states.
Significance of
the
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The ruling by the Supreme Court in the 1883 Civil Rights Cases, gave
constitutional foundation to the
Jim
Crow Laws that emerged in the South which enabled racial bigotry
to survive, in the name of states’ rights, until the 1960s.
The significance of the failure of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was that
the attitude to the
rights and social status of African Americans had to wait
nearly one hundred years for change in the 1960's and the effect of
the Civil Rights Movement.
Civil Rights Act of 1875 for kids - Racial Discrimination and
Segregation
For additional facts about racial discrimination and
segregation refer to detailed information on
Black Segregation
History
and for brief, fast
facts refer to the
Segregation History Timeline.
Black
History for kids: Important People and Events
For visitors interested in African American History
refer to
Black History - People and Events.
A useful resource for
teachers, kids, schools and colleges undertaking
projects for the Black History Month.
Civil Rights Act of 1875 for kids - President Ulysses Grant Video
The article on the Civil Rights Act of 1875 provides an overview of one of the Important issues of his presidential term in office. The following
Ulysses Grant video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 18th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1869 to March 4, 1877.
Civil Rights Act of 1875
●
Interesting Facts about Civil Rights Act of 1875 for kids and schools
●
Definition of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in US history
●
Facts about why it was declared Unconstitutional
●
Ulysses Grant Presidency from March 4, 1869 to March 4, 1877
●
Fast, fun, facts about Congress, Supreme Court and Constitution
●
Domestic
policies of President Ulysses Grant
● Ulysses Grant Presidency
and Reconstruction for schools,
homework, kids and children |