Slavery, Racial Segregation and Rule of Law in the USA
The US Constitution, adopted in 1787, did not abolish the slavery existed in the former British colonies that came together to form the United States. But in the north of the country a powerful abolitionist movement arose and divided the country into North and South. Between 1789 and 1861, slave-owners from the South had been holding high posts in the United States Government. For 49 years, their representatives were US presidents. The "Southern" majority was in the Congress and in the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1803, the Supreme Court appropriated to itself the right of constitutional review over acts of Congress, the President and the states, and thereby took upon itself the judicial protection of the Rule of Law in the United States. The author considers the principle of the rule of law in the USA in not abolished slavery and racial segregation periods.