Sample Solution

US law from the founding of the US up to the 1920s had a profound effect on Black civil rights. The most significant piece of legislation was the Constitution in 1787, which contained several provisions that limited black freedom and perpetuated slavery (McGeehan, 2017). This document stated that slaves were property instead of human beings, and it also contained a three-fifths clause which declared that each slave would count as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation purposes (McGeehan, 2017).

In addition, many state constitutions adopted in this time period implemented laws called “Black Codes” which dictated where African Americans could live and work (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 2008). These codes also required free African Americans to be registered with local authorities or risk being arrested and returned to their former owners as slaves. Some state constitutions even imposed restrictions on interracial marriage between African Americans and whites (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 2008). These laws sought to maintain racial segregation throughout much of US society during this era.

The Fugitive Slave Act passed by Congress in 1793 gave more power to slave owners who wanted to pursue escaped slaves into free states (McGeehan, 2017). This law made it illegal for anyone inside or outside government offices from helping runaway slaves escape without punishment. It was not until after the Civil War ended in 1865 with the passage of the 13th Amendment that slavery was finally abolished nationwide (McGeehan, 2017).

Despite these advances in civil rights for African Americans during Reconstruction, further progress towards equality was limited due to oppressive Jim Crow laws enacted across Southern states beginning in 1890s until well into the 1920s(Graetz & Yates 2018). These laws reinforced legal discrimination against blacks by establishing racial segregation through practices such as poll taxes for voting as well as segregated schools and public places like restaurants (Graetz & Yates 2018). In 1896 Plessy v Ferguson Supreme Court decision upheld these racist policies ruling separate but equal facilities did not violate 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause (Kaminski & Kastenbaum 2019). Although there were some progress after WWI with anti lynching laws, still many restrictive Jim Crow Laws remained firmly entrenched until 1950s when nation wide civil rights movement swept country following Brown v Board Education 1954 ruling desegregating all public schools (Meloncon 2020 ).