Question

What is TRUE about the Civil Rights Act of 1866? President Johnson vetoed the law, and Congress overrode the veto. It was declared unconstitutional. It was written by democratic senators. Southern states refused to return to the U.S. Government until it was signed.

Answer 1

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed by Congress to protect the civil rights of African Americans. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the act, but Congress overrode the veto. The act was the first to be passed over a presidential veto.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was an important piece of legislation that aimed to protect the civil rights of African Americans. The act was passed by Congress in April 1866 and specified that all persons born in the United States, regardless of race or previous condition of slavery, were entitled to the full protection of the Constitution. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the act, but his veto was overridden by Congress, making it the first act to be passed over a presidential veto.

Despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Black Codes, which were racially discriminatory laws, continued to be enforced. These laws laid the foundation for the implementation of Jim Crow segregation policies that oppressed generations of African Americans. The constitutionality of the act was also questioned, leading to the drafting and ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, which further solidified the civil rights of African Americans.