What did the Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibit?

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 primarily focused on prohibiting discrimination based on race, making it a pivotal piece of legislation during the Reconstruction era in the United States. Its main goal was to ensure that all persons born in the United States, regardless of race, were granted equal rights in terms of contracts, lawsuits, and property ownership. This act was aimed particularly at protecting the rights of formerly enslaved individuals and was one of the first federal laws to affirm equality under the law.

During this period, the nation was striving to address the injustices that had been prevalent, particularly in the former Confederate states, and the Act laid foundational principles that were integral to later civil rights advancements. While discrimination based on gender, religion, and age are significant issues in civil rights law, they were not specifically addressed by the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which focused on race as a primary concern.