The Civil Rights Act of 1875: A failure reconsidered

The years since the Civil War have witnessed vigorous efforts, not always successful, on the part of black and white Americans to elevate substantially the position of the black American in sociey. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most dramatic and significant legislation, on a national level, which attacked segregation and discrimination, but it was not the first of its kind. The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 contained many of the same provisions that had been enacted, or proposed but deleted, in a similar Civil Rights Act in 1875. On the whole, in its impact and enforcement, the Act of 1875 was a failure. The purpose of this study has been to take a closer and more detailed look at those events which surrounded the introduction, the debates and the final results of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Little has been written on the subject of this act. Many of the standard general histories in their treatment of the Reconstruction era, simply refer to this act. The task of the historian in re-examning and evaluating developments that have taken place abounds in difficulties, but it seems, nonetheless, worthwhile to take cognizance of mnay of the neglected, but significant and positive effects of this legislation