Race and Civil Rights: Slavery Opposition

Political Context of Slavery

• Political tensions existed between slave states and free states, affecting the balance in Congress.
• Enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for representation, granting the South an additional 36 House seats.
• The Missouri Compromise (1820) established a boundary: slavery permitted south of the line, free north of it (except Missouri).
• The Compromise of 1850 allowed residents of new territories to decide on the legality of slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

• Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom; the Supreme Court ruled against him.
• Court declared neither territories nor the federal government could limit slavery or recognize Black rights.
• Ruled the Missouri Compromise and popular sovereignty unconstitutional, denying Black citizenship and territory restrictions on slavery.

Reconstruction and Civil Rights Amendments

• The "second American founding" was marked by Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, proclaiming "a new birth of freedom."
• Key documents include the Emancipation Proclamation (freed slaves in rebelling areas), Thirteenth Amendment (abolished slavery), Fourteenth Amendment (established citizenship and due process rights), and Fifteenth Amendment (guaranteed voting rights for Black men).
• Reconstruction efforts, including the Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875, ultimately failed, leading to the withdrawal of federal support and rising discrimination.

Post-Reconstruction: Jim Crow and Discrimination

• The Civil Rights Cases of 1883 led to the Supreme Court striking down the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
• States enacted laws like poll taxes and literacy tests to undermine the Fifteenth Amendment.
• Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation from 1890 to 1965, often through violence.
• The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling (1896) upheld racial segregation under "separate but equal.”

Affirmative Action and Racial Integration

• Affirmative action aims to increase representation of historically discriminated groups in workplaces, focusing on equality of opportunity.
• School busing was a strategy to promote racial integration in public schools but declined post-1980s.
• The Black Lives Matter movement has revived discussions on civil rights for Black Americans.

Women's Rights Movement

• The Seneca Falls Convention (1848) marked the first organized women's rights movement.
• The Nineteenth Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 unexpectedly included gender discrimination, spurring the National Organization for Women (NOW) to advocate for women's rights.
• Title IX (1972) mandated equal opportunities in athletics for men and women.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and Legal Protections

• The ERA was introduced annually from 1924 to 1972, but opposition arose from figures like Phyllis Schlafly.
• The Supreme Court gradually recognized gender discrimination, with rulings allowing for greater scrutiny of gender-based cases.
• Recent court decisions have made it more challenging for women to sue for discrimination.

Native American Rights and Sovereignty

• The Dawes Act (1887) aimed to assimilate Native Americans by privatizing land ownership.
• Supreme Court (1831 ruling) designated Indian tribes as "domestic dependent nations" without full citizenship rights.
• The Indian Citizenship Act (1924) granted limited citizenship, recognizing reservations under federal, but not state, jurisdiction.

Groups Without Traditional Court Protections

• People with disabilities gained access rights through Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990).
• The LGBTQ+ movement gained momentum after the 1969 Stonewall riots, leading to increased rights, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.
• Ongoing conflicts over rights include discrimination in various sectors and controversial legislation regarding bathrooms and sports.

Contemporary Economic and Social Rights

• Despite improving health outcomes, disparities persist, with the Black poverty rate significantly higher than that of whites.
• Incarceration rates show systemic issues, with Black men disproportionately imprisoned, reflecting a modern parallel to segregation's impacts, termed the "New Jim Crow."

This quiz explores the moral and economic arguments against slavery, highlighting the political dynamics between slave and free states in Congress. It touches on significant historical events and the representation of enslaved individuals in governmental processes.