Civil Rights Act Turns 42
July 3, 2006 by Laura | Trackback URI
From my Dummocrats post, Civil Rights Act Turns 42:
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act 42 years ago. He said,
One hundred and 88 years ago this week, a small band of valiant men began a struggle for freedom. They pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor, not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom —not only for political independence but for personal liberty—not only to eliminate foreign rule but to establish the rule of justice, in the affairs of men. That struggle was a turning point in history.It’s interesting that Johnson should reference the founding fathers in this way, given how bitterly they fought over slavery before signing the Declaration of Independence. They finally chose to focus on gaining freedom from King George, judging that they could not win the war without the southern militias.
Free black soldiers were militia members in the northern states. After the founding fathers failed to agree to a proposal to free the slaves, the British proclaimed that slaves were free and welcome in their Army. Many slaves escaped their bondage and joined them. Slavery was still legal in England, but it was a convenient and cynical way to sap the south of a critical part of its economy, and draw soldiers from the militias to their own side.
That may have been the first time that race was part of a cynical political decision, but it certainly wasn’t the last.
If you’d like to read the rest, it’s here.
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