Early civil rights laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866, were initially interpreted to prohibit only ______ acts of discrimination.

• A. Local
• B. Governmental
• C. Private
• D. National

Answer: (B)

Discrimination was understood in terms of government action. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 aimed to guarantee equal rights in making and enforcing contracts and in access to courts, but because constitutional protections against discrimination were seen as applying to state action, the law was read as prohibiting only acts by government actors or actions carried out under color of law. Private discrimination by individuals or businesses wasn’t viewed as covered by this law at the time. Over time, later legislation and constitutional developments expanded federal limits on private discrimination, but the initial interpretation focused on governmental acts.