The Constitution of the United States was adopted by all tirteen original states by 1790. The Bill of Rights was added one year later. The Bill of rights gives every state an outline of natural law, the most important rights and liberties for white male US citizens. Amendments would later be ratified extenteding those rights to African-americans and women. The thirteenth, fourteenith, and fifthteenth amendments were ratified between 1865 to1870 and have played a big part in the recent civil rights movement. These amendments outlaw slavery, give all citizens equal protection of the laws and the right to vote.Even though the constitution gives all men equal power and protection from laws, racial inequality remains prevelent throughout the United States.
Ever since the Civil War, civil rights for negros was reconized as a serious problem, but many thought it was only an issue in the South. The segragation of busses, schools and other public facilities illustrated the seriousness of the problem, and a major descripency between the South and the rest of the US. The situtation was so bad in the South that it took the attention from racial inequalities in other parts of the US. Civil rights was so concentratred in the South, americans were convinced that it wasn't an issue anywhere else.
With slavery and segragation laws, the national public viewed racial inequalities as a negative backlash from the power of States over the national government. Media coverage of Rosa Parks and Governer Wallace's attempt to keep universities segragated put a spotlight on the southern states, but failed to showe the racism deeply embeded throughout the entire country. Today the riots in Cinncinati and Los Angeles have taken center stage in todays civil rights activists. .
The thirteenth through fifthteenth amendments weren't enough to ensure racial equality. Many states found ways to supress the Negro communities.