The application of protections of civil rights and civil liberties is considered the most significant political value in American history. Conversely, as former Justice Frankfurter stated in the quote above, the people who practice liberties and rights in the courts are not always exemplar citizens. In this reflection piece, such protections will be examined, along with how these protections were applied as laws in the American context.
Firstly, it is important to differentiate between the concept of liberty and right. Both terms are seen in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, however, the contrast between the two has always been indistinct and are often used interchangeably. Civil liberties are protections against government actions, such as the guarantee of the right to practice whichever religion they please constituted in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The government, therefore, cannot interfere in a citizen’s freedom of religion. The First Amendment gives the individual “liberty” from the actions of the government. Civil rights, on the other hand, are positive actions taken by the government to constitute equal conditions for all Americans and is frequently related with the
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But, the truth is that in this era, the laws and regulations passed in order to protect the freedoms were not enough. A great example is the Progressive Era, an age when political and economic freedoms expanded for many. The tragic 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company demonstrated the prevailing feeling in America that the government had to be more responsible for the well being of its people. The idea of lack of industrial freedom was due to labor problems, and many political activists worked to create more idealistic conditions in the workplace. However, non-white immigrants or blacks were not included as Americans who would be granted such