Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1992: Key Moments and Figures

Executive Actions

  • Establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau (March 1865): Created to aid former slaves and impoverished whites in the South through education, medical, and legal assistance.

Congressional Actions

  • Civil Rights Act of 1866: Declared all persons born in the U.S. as citizens and affirmed their right to make contracts, sue, and obtain full and equal benefits of all laws.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1875: Aimed to guarantee African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations, public transportation, and prohibited exclusion from jury service (later found unconstitutional).

  • Fourteenth Amendment (Ratified 1868): Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves, and mandated equal protection under the laws.

  • Fifteenth Amendment (Ratified 1870): Aimed to protect citizens' rights to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public facilities and employment.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965: Aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans, including literacy tests.

Supreme Court Actions

  • United States v. Harris (1883): Ruled that private discrimination did not fall under federal jurisdiction, limiting government intervention.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Legitimized segregation through the doctrine of "separate but equal," providing a legal framework for systemic discrimination.

State Government Actions

  • Jim Crow Laws: Enacted by Southern states to institutionalize racial segregation and discrimination, establishing a system of oppression for African Americans.

  • Mississippi's Black Code (1865): Limited the rights and freedoms of African Americans, including establishing curfews and stringent labor contracts.

  • Discriminatory Practices: State laws and regulations like literacy tests, poll taxes, and understanding clauses strategically suppressed African American voter registration.