Civil Rights Worksheets

What Are Civil Rights?

Some rights have been given to us by nature. Rights like freely walking on the face of the earth or eating; however, we want are innate within us, and we are free to make the most out of these without any political or government infringement. Civil rights include freedom of speech and every social liberty. Here we discuss some of the civil rights that we most of the constitutions of the world secure. Right to Fair Trial - Fair trial is the right of every criminal. Calling an individual criminal before the judgment is given is not considered right in any legal dictionary. The trial has to be completed without any biases of the judge. Precisely, the right to free trial is the primary civil right of every individual. Freedom of Speech - Freedom of speech is the most confusing civil right there could ever be. While it remains the most crucial in today’s world, most countries of the world don’t have the necessary tolerance for it. In fact, even though they have signed the treaties that secure every individual’s right to freedom of speech, they are still not provided freedom. Anyhow, the right comes under the realm of civil rights.

The Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott was a slave who decided to sue for his freedom. The Supreme Court, in one of the most notorious cases in American history, ruled 7-2 that African Americans were not citizens. Dred Scott was ordered returned to his owner and was basically considered property. This ruling went against the foundation of the Constitution's "all men are created equal" clause.


Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County Maryland. She was a runaway slave who became known as "The Moses of her People". Harriet Tubman is a wellknown abolitionist, a person who works to end slavery. She created a system called The Underground Railroad, which helped slaves from the south escape to the north where they would be free.


Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan is a group who advocate white supremacy (a belief that white is the superior race). It is known for its violence, its cross burning, and lynching of African American people. The first Klan was around in the 1860's and are still around to this day although the level of violence is no where near as bad as the previous decades. In the 1920's there were over 4,000,000 members and today there are less than 3,000.


Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King is one person who will always stand out in American history. He was the main leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He was born January 15th, 1929 and was assassinated (killed) on April 4, 1968. During Kings childhood segregation was a very popular thing. Segregation was supported by the Jim Crow Laws which made it illegal for blacks to use the same bathrooms, water fountains, and even eat in the same restaurants as whites. Segregation simply means a racial separation. King believed that all races, Caucasian, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians should be treated equally and he fought for that belief his entire life.



Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist in a time period where segregation was at its highest. Segregation is the separation of people by their race or background. Rosa became famous when she first refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. She was arrested and put into jail but she did not care because she felt she had made a stand for herself and for people in her situation.