What did US v Cruikshank and US v Reece suggest about the nations?

Answer 1

In U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876) and U.S. v. Reece (1876), the Supreme Court suggested that the federal government had limited powers to protect civil rights, particularly in the context of racial discrimination and violence against African Americans. These cases highlighted the challenges of enforcing the 14th and 15th Amendments, as the Court ruled that individual actions and state laws could not be regulated by the federal government. Ultimately, these decisions reflected a retreat from Reconstruction-era protections and allowed for the continuation of racial discrimination in the post-Civil War South.