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Civil Rights Act Pros And Cons

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Civil Rights Act Pros And Cons
A positive spirit fills the hearts of supporters of equal rights with the Civil Rights Act being passed by Congress on April 9th, 1866. President Andrew Jackson had unfortunately previously vetoed this bill where he cited a rather slipshod excuse that it violated states’ rights, and ever since the conclusion of the Civil War, there has been rising support for this act. This bill holds another layer of importance, as it is the first time in which Congress has legislated upon civil rights in a formal matter. This historic bill ensures that anyone born in the United States of America, no matter their race, are citizens and thereby receive the protection under the law which is inherent to an American citizen. The law also included specific rights …show more content…
This important proclamation declared that all people who had been enslaved in states which were apart of the Confederacy and were rebelling, were then free - no longer slaves. While this proclamation did have military interests in mind, as it hoped to recruit African American soldiers, it quickly flooded into politics. The next important landmark for this act was the ratification of the ever important Thirteenth Amendment from 1865. The amendment elaborated on the concepts provided by the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as forever forbid any type of involuntary servitude unless for the conviction of a crime. It would seem that the next thing to do for Congress would be to establish citizenship and ensure equal protection under the law, which it did in the Civil Rights Act. The act was introduced by the Illinois Republican Senator Lyman Trumbull on January 5th, 1866. He declared that this piece of legislation was needed in order to protect the freedoms provided by the Thirteenth Amendment. He also described his intention of dismantling the oppressive and unfair Black Codes. On February 2nd, the Senate approved the bill with a vote of a successful vote of 33-12. The House of Representatives soon followed and passed it with a vote of 111-38. Seemingly the upward spirit was lost when President Jackson vetoed the bill, which led many to be outraged - especially Radical Republicans. This terrible act by the President was soon overturned in Congress with a two-thirds majority ruling. The Senate voted 33-15, and the House of Representatives gave a vote of 121-41, thus making the act a

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