Bill > HRes315

This resolution recognizes the 159th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, a pivotal piece of legislation in American history that was the first federal law to define citizenship and affirm equal protection under the law for all citizens. The resolution highlights the historical context of the Act, which was passed during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, when Southern states were attempting to suppress the rights of newly freed Black Americans through restrictive laws that denied them property ownership, contract rights, and labor protections. Introduced by Senator Lyman Trumbull and passed after overriding President Andrew Johnson's veto, the Act was a critical step in establishing legal equality. The resolution formally acknowledges the Act's significance in establishing a framework for future civil rights amendments, particularly the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, and reaffirms the importance of protecting and defending the rights of all Americans regardless of race.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/315/all-info