Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court's ruling when it overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 came in the case of Civil Rights Cases (1883). In this landmark decision, the Court declared significant portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was enacted during the Reconstruction era and aimed to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels, theaters, and transportation, as well as in jury selection. However, the Court's ruling in the Civil Rights Cases held that the Act was unconstitutional.
The Court's decision was based on the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The Court concluded that the Fourteenth Amendment only prohibited discriminatory actions by the state and did not grant Congress the authority to regulate private acts of discrimination. Therefore, it determined that Congress exceeded its authority in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1875, as it sought to regulate private individuals and entities.
The ruling in the Civil Rights Cases effectively undermined the progress made towards racial equality and civil rights protection in the post-Civil War era. It established a legal precedent that limited the reach of federal legislation in combating racial discrimination in private establishments, leading to a period known as the "Jim Crow" era, characterized by segregation and systemic racism. It took several decades for comprehensive civil rights legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to be enacted and provide more robust protections against discrimination.