United States v. Cruikshank et al.
Digitally printed broadside
19 by 27 inches
2025
United States v. Cruikshank et al. was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Bill of Rights did not limit the power of private actors or state governments despite the adoption of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that the Enforcement Act of 1870 (which was based on the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment) applied only to actions committed by the state and that it did not apply to actions committed by individuals or private conspiracies. It reversed the federal criminal convictions for the civil rights violations committed during the murders of the Colfax Massacre. Decided during the Reconstruction Era, the case represented a major defeat for federal efforts to protect the civil rights of Black Americans.
19 by 27 inches
2025
United States v. Cruikshank et al. was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Bill of Rights did not limit the power of private actors or state governments despite the adoption of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that the Enforcement Act of 1870 (which was based on the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment) applied only to actions committed by the state and that it did not apply to actions committed by individuals or private conspiracies. It reversed the federal criminal convictions for the civil rights violations committed during the murders of the Colfax Massacre. Decided during the Reconstruction Era, the case represented a major defeat for federal efforts to protect the civil rights of Black Americans.
