Civil Rights In The 1800s

A civil right is defined as, “The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality” (Civil). While the United States of America has tried to stay true to the ideals regarding Civil Rights and Human Rights, there are many cases in which America falls short. Rather than trying to ensure that every citizen has political and social equality, America has done and in many was still is doing the opposite. That is evident during the 1800s, when segregation was considered constitutional although it undermined African American’s rights, and it is still evident today regarding gun laws that are infringing on American’s rights to bear arms. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, but that was just the beginning of what would become a long journey that African Americans would have to face trying to gain the same rights as a white man (Separate). While some white Americans welcomed them as fully free and equal citizens, others remained ignorant and refused to accept African Americans as equals in society (Separate). Soon “Jim Crow” laws became common throughout many of the Southern states, and their intentions were to…show more content…
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