Civil Rights Act Law and Legal Definition
Civil Rights Act refers to those enactments passed in the U.S. in the history of civil rights.
Civil Rights Acts of the U.S. include:
a. Civil Rights Act of 1866 that extended the rights of emancipated slaves;
b. Civil Rights Act of 1871 that prohibited ethnic violence against blacks;
c. Civil Rights Act of 1875 that prohibited discrimination in public accommodations;
c. Civil Rights Act of 1957 that established the Civil Rights Commission;
d. Civil Rights Act of 1960 that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls;
e. Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin by federal and state governments as well as some public places;
f. Civil Rights Act of 1968 that prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing; and
g. Civil Rights Act of 1991 that provided the right to trial by jury on discrimination claims and introduced the possibility of emotional distress damages.
