Andrew Johnson: Veto of the Civil Rights Act

( 1866 ) Commentary by Michael J. O'Neal, Ph.D.

“In all our history, in all our experience as people living under Federal and State law, no such system as that contemplated by the details of this bill has ever before been proposed or adopted. They establish for the security of the colored race safeguards which go infinitely beyond any that the General Government has ever provided for the white race. In fact, the distinction of race and color is by the bill made to operate in favor of the colored and against the white race.” - Veto of the Civil Rights Act

Andrew Johnson (Library of Congress)

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