Civil Rights Act of 1875 - Definition and Overview

The Civil Rights Act of 1875, proposed by Charles Sumner and Benjamin F. Butler in 1870, was passed on March 1, 1875. It guaranteed that everyone, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, was entitled to the same treatment in, "inns, public conveyances on land or water, theaters, and other places of public amusement." The Supreme Court of the United States deemed the act unconstitutional in 1883, on the basis that Congress had no power to regulate the conduct of individuals.