The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (14 Stat. 27–30, enacted April 9, 1866, reenacted 1870) was the first United States federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. [1]

Shortly after ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865, on January 5, 1866, Lyman Trumbull, the Senator from Illinois, introduced the first federal civil rights bill in the nation’s history.

The act formally equated the rights of free people (guaranteed to all Americans with the abolition of slavery) with the natural rights of citizens and provided for the federal protection of those rights. In his introduction of the bill, Sen. Trumbull described its objectives:

The first line of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 clearly states its purpose: to not only protect all Americans in their civil rights, but also to offer all of the ways (to “furnish”) in which this protection will be enforced (“the means of their vindication”).

The Civil Rights Bill of 1866 proved to be the opening salvo of the showdown between the 39th Congress (1865–1867) and the President over the future of the former Confederacy and African-American civil rights.

Oct 4, 2022 · The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first law enacted by the United States Congress clearly defining U.S. citizenship and affirming that all citizens are equally protected by the law.

One such law was the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which declared that all people born in the United States were U.S. citizens and had certain inalienable rights, including the right to make contracts, to own property, to sue in court, and to enjoy the full protection of federal law.

An Act to protect all Persons in the United States in their Civil Rights, and furnish the Means of their Vindication.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the nation's first civil rights law. Background. Under President Andrew Johnson's (D) Reconstruction policy, the former Confederate states were required to maintain abolition, swear loyalty to the United States, …

Mar 10, 2025 · The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is a foundational piece of legislation in American history, marking a significant step toward equality and justice for all citizens. Passed in the aftermath of the Civil War, this act aimed to secure rights for newly freed slaves and establish legal protections against discrimination. In this article, we will ...