Read the first in the Foundation of Civil Rights series, entitled Civil Rights Defined.
The Crime of Slavery
The United States of America went to great lengths to ensure that each citizen would enjoy personal freedoms that would soon become the envy of the world; however, in its own country, the civil rights of many were slighted and ignored. Selectively applied were the unforgettable words of the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal..."On the receiving end of this insult were Americans of African heritage: slaves. Brought to this country like cattle, and sold on markets in a similar fashion, these humans were the unpaid labor that helped the American economy to flourish. Treated as animals, abused, used, and discarded, these men and women were the grave reminder that even in the light of the best of intentions, civil rights only reach as far as the public sentiment will allow them to.
The Emancipation Proclamation
Notwithstanding the foregoing, freedom-loving Americans recognized the horrors of the crime that was being committed, and in a war that pitched countrymen (and women) against one another, the vicious practice of slavery was fought and finally abolished. During this war, American President Abraham Lincoln , in 1863, proudly issued the Emancipation Proclamation which unequivocally stated:
"...that all persons held as slaves ... are, and henceforward shall be free."Impact on The United States Constitution
The Emancipation Proclamation was a proud beginning, and lawmakers were quick to adopt two additional amendments to The United States Constitution: the Fourteenth Amendment, adopted in 1868, which, among other things, transformed former slaves into bona fide citizens who were to enjoy the same rights and privileges formerly only enjoyed by their masters. Additionally, the Fifteenth Amendment, adopted in 1879, prohibited voter discrimination because of a citizen’s skin color, race, or the fact that the person once was a slave.
Civil Rights insulted
In theory, the road to societal equality should have been paved, and goodwill should have been the rule of the day. Yet, as history shows, the crime of slavery was now replaced with the crime of racism, advanced through societal acceptance. Racial segregation became the norm of the day, an insult to American citizens that nonetheless received the “blessing” of the United States Supreme Court in the 1896 landmark decision of Plessy v. Ferguson which paved the way for the doctrine of “separate but equal.” American citizens suffered this legalized injustice until 1954, when this decision was overturned by the Supreme Court in the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education decision.
One would think that finally, the road to civil rights for all was paved across the United States. Sadly, this is a mistake. We recall the 1955 incident involving Rosa Parks, and the Poll Tax law that was not outlawed until 1965.
What’s a country to do?
Please take a look at your host’s book recommendations. These books make great gifts for the student in your house or the historic minded friend or family member. Additionally, they will assist the interested reader in examining the background of the struggles that inspired the legislation which makes this country great:
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President
Read the third article in the Foundation of Civil Rights series, entitled Civil Rights Guaranteed.
