In the 1870s and 1880s the U.S. Supreme Court
A)strengthened the authority of federal officials in prosecuting individuals who violated the civil rights of blacks.
B)declared the military occupation of the South unconstitutional.
C)banned racial discrimination in public transportation and accommodations.
D)ordered the desegregation of public schools in the South.
E)declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional, stating that the 14th Amendment only prohibited governments (not private citizens or businesses) from discriminating on the basis of race. This weakened efforts to protect the civil rights of black Americans and contributed to the rise of Jim Crow segregation in the South.