Passed in March 1875, the Civil Rights Act guaranteed equal rights for all Americans in public places and facilities, such as theaters and public transportation. The act also prohibited the exclusion of African Americans from jury duty. Passed during Reconstruction, the act was designed to extend the civil rights of African Americans. However, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional in 1883. The Court ruled that the act was invalid because it protected social rather than political rights. The Court also ruled that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited states from violating a person’s civil rights but did not prohibit individuals from violating another person’s civil rights. Almost 90 years later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in public facilities, schools, and employment.
