The Supreme Court decisions in 1883 significantly curtailed federal power to combat racial discrimination. These rulings involved five separate cases consolidated under the title, and they addressed the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This Act had prohibited discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels, theaters, and railroads. The Court declared that the Fourteenth Amendment only prevented discriminatory actions by state governments, not by individual citizens or private businesses.
The impact of these decisions was profound, effectively dismantling much of the federal government’s ability to protect African Americans from discrimination in the private sector. This setback contributed to the rise of Jim Crow laws and the entrenchment of segregation in the South. The rulings reflected a narrow interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, emphasizing state autonomy over federal intervention in civil rights matters, thereby hindering the progress of racial equality during the late 19th century.
