Major Civil Rights Movements in All 50 States
By
Andrew Lisa, Stacker News
On 2/6/21 at 10:00 AM EST
A land of contradictions from the outset, the United States was founded by slave owners who spoke passionately and eloquently about liberty, freedom and justice for all. In the beginning, "all" was limited to men of European ancestry who were wealthy enough to own land. The Constitution's protections did not apply to most of the people living in America for most of America's history—at least not in full.
Women—about 50 percent of the population—were not included in the country's concept of "all," likewise millions of slaves—and for a long time, their offspring. The descendants of the original inhabitants of the United States were commonly excluded from the promise of America, as were many immigrants, ethnic groups, and religious minorities.