An Act Of Civil Rights

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was signed into law on March 1^st 1875 by President Ulysses S Grant.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a federal law proposed by Republican Representative Benjamin Franklin Butler and Senator Charles Sumner.  The last biracial United State Congress of the 19^th century, passed the law in February 1875, and President Ulysses S Grant signed it into law March 1^st 1875.  The Act promised that everyone, irrespective of color, past condition of bondage, or race was entitled to equal treatment in “public accommodations”.  “Public accommodations” included services on juries, public transportation, restaurants and theaters.

The law was hardly ever enforced.  The Supreme Court declared in the 1883 Civil Rights Cases that the 1875 Act was unconstitutional.  It stated that the 14^th Amendment prohibited discrimination by states, but did not give power to the government to stop private individuals from discriminating.

If you’re interested in reading the original law as passed this web site, Civil Rights Act of 1875  is a good place to start.

The First Civil Rights

On March 27th 1866 President Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on grounds that it was unconstitutional.

As a counter measure against the Black Codes which had been enacted in the former slave states following the passage of the 13th Amendment, the Republican controlled Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Included in this act were rights that included the ability to make contracts, sue, own private property, inherit, and be witness in court. President Johnson vetoed the bill because it would “operate in favor of the colored and against the white race”, and he didn't believe blacks had the qualifications to be United States citizens. Fortunately the Republican’s had enough votes in congress to override the Presidential Veto, and the Act passed on April 9th 1866. This Civil Rights Act of 1866 was strongly undermined by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, and in the end failed.