Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Civil rights and race relations in the USA, 1850–2009 - 2 The triumph of…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 39.1: Civil rights and race relations in the USA, 1850–2009 - 2 The triumph of ‘Jim Crow’, 1883–c1900: Impact of the Civil Rights Cases 1883 in the Supreme Court.
The Civil Rights Cases (1883) were a group of five cases consolidated before the Supreme Court.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Civil Rights Cases (1883) were a group of five cases consolidated before the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, was unconstitutional. The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment only prohibited state action, not private discrimination. This decision allowed individuals and businesses to discriminate on the basis of race. It effectively ended federal efforts to protect Black civil rights in the South and paved the way for Jim Crow laws. States could now enforce segregation without federal interference. The ruling remained a legal foundation for segregation until the mid-twentieth century.
What earns the marks
- Explain the constitutional basis of the Supreme Court's decision, specifically the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment as applying only to state action.
- Describe the immediate impact of the ruling on the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and similar federal protections.
- Analyse how the decision facilitated the spread of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South.
- Assess the long-term consequences of the Civil Rights Cases for African American civil rights until the mid-twentieth century.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Believing that the Civil Rights Cases struck down the Fourteenth Amendment itself.
Put it right: Clarify that the amendment remained but was interpreted narrowly.
Assuming that the ruling applied only to one specific case.
Put it right: Refer to the group of cases and their combined effect.
Confusing the Civil Rights Cases with Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
Put it right: Distinguish the two rulings and their timelines.
Exam tips
- Use the exact name 'Civil Rights Cases (1883)' and note that it was a consolidation of five cases.
- Link the ruling to the broader context of retreat from Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow.
- When discussing the impact, refer to both immediate and long-term effects on African Americans.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 39.1: Civil rights and race relations in the USA, 1850–2009 - 2 The triumph of ‘Jim Crow’, 1883–c1900: Impact of the Civil Rights Cases 1883 in the Supreme Court. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, what did the Supreme Court rule about the Civil Rights Act of 1875?
Listen
The Civil Rights Cases (1883) were a group of five cases consolidated before the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, was unconstitutional. The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment only prohibited state action, not private discrimination. This decision allowed individuals and businesses to discriminate on the basis of race. It effectively ended federal efforts to protect Black civil rights in the South and paved the way for Jim Crow laws. States could now enforce segregation without federal interference. The ruling remained a legal foundation for segregation until the mid-twentieth century. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explain the constitutional basis of the Supreme Court's decision, specifically the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment as applying only to state action. Describe the immediate impact of the ruling on the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and similar federal protections. Analyse how the decision facilitated the spread of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South. Assess the long-term consequences of the Civil Rights Cases for African American civil rights until the mid-twentieth century. A common slip: Believing that the Civil Rights Cases struck down the Fourteenth Amendment itself: the Court only limited its scope to state action. Instead, clarify that the amendment remained but was interpreted narrowly. Exam tip: Use the exact name 'Civil Rights Cases (1883)' and note that it was a consolidation of five cases.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Federalism and the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment
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Judicial interpretation and civil rights
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The rise of legal segregation
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The retreat from federal protection of civil rights
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See every definition
- Federalism and the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment
- The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment only prohibited state action, not private discrimination.
- Judicial interpretation and civil rights
- The Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, was unconstitutional.
- The rise of legal segregation
- States could now enforce segregation without federal interference, paving the way for Jim Crow laws.
- The retreat from federal protection of civil rights
- The decision effectively ended federal efforts to protect Black civil rights in the South.
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