Civil Rights Act (1875)- was introduced to Congress by Charles Sumner and Benjamin Butler in 1870 but did not become law until 1st March, 1875. It promised that all persons, regardless of race, color, or previous condition, was entitled to full and equal employment of accommodation in "inns, public conveyances on land or water, theaters, and other places of public amusement." It provided for either criminal or civil enforcement. If found guilty in a criminal trial, the lawbreaker was punishable by a $500 to $1000 fine and between thirty days and one year in jail. Alternatively, the victim could file a civil suit for $500 in damages.In 1883 the Supreme Court declared the act as unconstitutional and asserted that Congress did not have the power to regulate the conduct and transactions of individuals.The laws were completely ignored in the south. Local "Jim Crow" laws were passed that established separate accommodations for Blacks and Whites. Haarthi Sakthivel per4
Cartoon about the Civil Rights Act of 1875
Complete proclamation of the act: http://www.blackpast.org/?q=primary/civil-rights-act-1875
Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/activism/ps_1875.html
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/67500/67502/67502_civ_right.htm
Comments: 16, 19, 20 (all per4)
Comments (2)
Ludovic said
at 11:25 pm on Jan 6, 2011
Nice political cartoo, here is what i found: Considered by many as the “last feeble gasp” of the radical Republicans, the Civil Rights Act, enacted on March 1, 1875, was meant to guarantee equal accommodations in public places and prohibited racial discrimination in the selecting of juries. However, the law stayed out of sight for centuries and much of the act was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1883 during the Civil Rights Cases. Ludovic Pao 4
brendalyn said
at 9:12 pm on Jan 9, 2011
this act was basicly ignored after Hayes was elected president
You don't have permission to comment on this page.