Civil Rights Cases
1 Jan 1883
Causes: Black Americans went to court in a series of cases over whether segregated facilities violated the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and the 14th Amendment.
People: Supreme Court (Joseph P. Bradley)
Effects: The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment only protected citizens from the government violating their civil rights, not individuals. The Civil Rights Act was unconstitutional and the decision, paired with the Compromise of 1877 withdrawing Northern troops from the South, hurt blacks.