The Civil Right Act Of 1866

On April 19, 1866, the US Congress passed the first ever Civil Rights Act. It gave black Americans the right to own their own property, to have legal protection in business, and to take people to court. The act was also the first time that black Americans were called citizens of the United States. This meant that black Americans would have the same rights and privileges as all other US citizens. Another Civil Rights Act was passed in 1875. This act made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in public places, such as restaurants. In 1883, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1875 act was unconstitutional on the basis that businesses had the right to choose which customers they served and which they could ignore. This allowed businesses that provided public facilities to choose to exclude black people. On June 1, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed. It became the most important civil rights organization fighting for the rights of black people in the United States. It is still active today and has a membership of about half a million. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court passed a judgment that changed the course of civil rights in the United States. In the case of Brown v. the Board of Education, the judges on the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in education was unconstitutional and therefore against the law. This decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896. Shortly after noon on Monday May 17,

The Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in the U.S. After the Civil War, the withdrawal of the federal troops from the south, and the Fourteenth Amendment was what they emancipated. The reconstruction lasted 12 years from 1871 until 1883 when the Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights Cases in which some Acts were invalid because they addressed social as opposed to civil rights. Although Congress responded with legislation that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1866, States kept on the books laws that continued the legacy of the black codes which were established by white Southerners, seeking to control the freedom of the 4 million black Southerners former slaves and, therefore, second-class citizenship were imposed for the newly freed slaves; being that they were landless and with little money to support themselves. Furthermore, the Court noted that the Fourteenth Amendment protected people against violations of their civil rights by states, not by the actions of individuals. It was aimed to provide the means for the Southern states to recognize that African American and Whites can live in harmony, together, without slavery. That was President Hayes, who in 1877 thought, that it was a new Era having new feelings for respecting each other, but the Southern states did not welcome this. In that same year, South Carolina’s Governor Hampton promoted the full equal protection right to blacks and whites. All good intention to change the

They were willing to put their lives on the line for their country. African Americans assumed that after being viewed as equals this would lead to more freedom in their daily lives. (Document 3) This was not the case though. Many wanted this and so they started the Double V Campaign. Double V stood for Double Victory. Their goal was to achieve a victory abroad and a victory at home. Those at war saw that this was not as easy as they wanted it to be. Corporal Rupert Trimmingham wrote about the treatment of African Americans compared to the treatment of enemies of the country. (Document 5) This showed that even the Germans were being treated better than them as they were American soldiers. This did not lead to opportunities or freedoms for them. It just showed that they had more battles to win and considering equal soldiers was one of

The Civil War was the war that determined the fate of the southern slaves. The United States union in the North half had the bloodiest conflict with eleven Southern States that formed the Confederate States of America. The war casted between 1861 to 1865, and during this time the North gained benefits to overcome the South’s attempts. The North had more advance transportation methods that lead to them receiving support and supplies quicker, as well as teleporting them into battle faster. The North also has a much greater population and immigration rates which led to larger armies. This war and the North’s victory allowed the slaves in the south to be free and in 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified, giving permission to black Americans the rights to vote. However, this outcome would certainly change if the South were victorious of the Civil War.

The American Civil War began in 1861. This war was fought over the preservation of the Union rather than the abolition of slavery. But in 1863, Lincoln changed the course of the war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln figured the Emancipation Proclamation was a strong military strategy, as well as the morally correct decision. The Emancipation Proclamation also changed the Civil War into a war fought over slavery rights. The American Civil War ended in 1865 with a clear Union victory.

Necessary and Proper Clause: This is a clause within the United States Constitution specifically in Article I Section 8. It grants Congress the power to create laws or take certain actions that are not explicitly seen in the Constitution and allows flexibility within Congress. The Necessary and Proper clause allows Congress to use enumerated powers that are implied within the text of the Constitution.

During American involvement in the war, African Americans were listed and reenlisted on the military draft at higher rates than any other nationalities including whites and Latin-Americans (Westheider 9). As a result, more African Americans than any othe r minority fought and died in combat. In addition, they constantly faced racism. One militant protested forcefully against the unfair conditions: “You should see for yourself how the black man is being treated over here and the ay we are dying. When it comes to rank, we are left out. When it comes to special privileges, we are left out. When it comes to patrols, perataions and so forth, we are first” (Gallagher). According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., black youths represented an unequal share of early draftees and faced a significantly higher chance of seeing combat. “Rumors abounded that the U.S. government were using the Vietnam War as a form of genocide. Money was being pumped into Vietnam instead of poor black communities in America” (Gallegher).

Americans and even immigrants are afforded their basic civil rights based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act, which was signed into law on July 2, 1964, declared all discrimination for any reason based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin will be deemed illegal in the United States (National Park Service, n.d.). When the act was enacted, people had to become more open minded; more accepting to the various cultures and backgrounds of individuals. Understanding that concept leads to the notion that there is and will be a diverse population within the United States. Diversity, as defined by the Cambridge dictionary, is the condition or fact of being different or varied (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). Diversity is also

The term Civil War is defined as a war between citizens of the same country fighting for different views. The American Civil War (1861 – 1865) was the important step on the way to American independence and prosperity for all that is clearly visible today. As with every war, people pay with their lives for the benefit of the living and the future. We must look not only at the white people that took part and gave their lives in the Civil war, but at the brave African Americans that gave their lives as well to fight for what they believed in. Throughout the years before the Civil War, African Americans were questioned and thought to be less than dirt but when it came to the war, they proved to be valuable and have a significant impact on the war and the advancements in America.

Immanuel Kant once said “In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” (Kant, n.d.). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes prohibition of sex discrimination which includes sexual harassment and hostile work environment. An example will be used to help define the law that is relevant to sexual harassment and hostile work environments, along with describing the facts of the case. A view on current lessons learned and any new thoughts learned while conducting research will be put forth. Lastly, a look at ethical issues related to the example presented will be discussed.

In the United States, almost every employee is to protected under federal employment and anti-discrimination laws. These laws make it unlawful to discriminate against a variety of groups that have historically been subjugated to unfair treatment. The major federal anti-discrimination law is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law prevents discrimination on the basis of race/color, sex, religion, or national origin. It also prohibits retaliation against an employee for asserting their rights under the law and applies to all term and conditions of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, and assignment decisions. Additionally, the equal pay act mandates that men and women must receive the same pay if they perform the same work. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination against those who are 40 years or older. For individuals with a disability, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects them from discrimination and also provides additional requirements, such as reasonable accommodations. In addition to these federal laws, state laws vary greatly in terms of accommodations in the workplace and the protection they provide to employees. These laws may vary greatly from state to state and many extend similar protections to groups that are not covered by federal laws. These rules place significant regulations on how employers can make decisions on hiring and other terms of employment but many factors affect this complex

Discrimination in the workforce is not only illegal, but it has been the center of controversy for multiple cases throughout its existence. The purpose of this writing is to reflect on particular personal circumstances based around actual events. First will be a clearly defined section of the Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, followed by a brief description of personal experiences involving discrimination, and concluding with a reflection as to how the American workforce is protected by law. The writing will cover any ethically related issues, personal thoughts and ideas, and illustrations of how the law pertains directly to personal events, as well as provide direct links to any and all reference material covered under the purpose of this writing.

As the World War developed African Americans joined the military. They were treated as less than the white soldiers, they were even denied honorable medals such as the Medal of Honor. The soldier groups were separated whites and blacks. The black soldier groups had a white leader. This brought the blacks to take this opportunity to fight for their rights. If they are fighting for our country as the white soldiers were then they should be treated as fairly as them too. They often times disobeyed orders from their white leader in order to prove their points and to show they were going to fight for their rights. This was a big deal because blacks who disobeyed were subject to severe punishments and sometimes even

Since African Americans came into America they have been looked at as unequal. From 1619- 1865 Whites controlled African Americans in slavery. Within slavery, African Americans were overworked, abused, and sold. Even when slavery ended it was not the end of discrimination. African Americans dealt with Jim Crow laws with which were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. An example of these laws would be “It shall be unlawful for a negro and white person to play together or in company with each other at any game of pool or billiards". All of this discrimination still affects society today 152 years later. African Americans are still affected today by past discrimination. An example of this would be according to the U.S. Census African Americans are three times more likely than Whites to live in an impoverished household. Many neighborhoods are predominantly one race within it, to live in the city is seen more as an African American trait while living in the suburbs is considered White. Nothing can fix the discrimination in the past but America has made efforts to help end it these efforts include affirmative action as well as the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Although nothing can fix the horrendous acts of discrimination, the United States has progressively gotten better to end it.

Despite being free people, African Americans were treated as a 'secondary race' because of white supremacy ideas held by those around them and those in power. They had little to no civil rights. I believe that this segregation led them to horrible suffering due to factors such as underrepresentation in authority figures, the KKK with racist views, and the Great Depression. The 1930s was the worst time period regarding segregation; compared to back then, the situation has improved greatly. However, it does not mean all problems are solved. Although it may not be as extreme, discrimination against African American people still exists in the modern society of the U.S. They still experience racism first handedly in forms such as hate crimes. There are still things that need to change. As Dorothy Day, an American journalist and social activist said, "The legal battle against segregation is won, but the community battle goes on" (AZQuotes,