| From the very beginning, Americans started their country with a belief that freedom and liberties should be valued highly. Thus, the U. S. Constitution adopted the Bill of Rights or 10 amendments, which guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, and the press in 1791. Although the United States began with a very fine Bill of Rights, it took almost two centuries to include all Americans to be treated equally and justly. In 1964, African-Americans were still suffering racial discrimination. They were not permitted to vote, and there were much segregation in street cars, trains, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, recreational facilities, and employment. At that time, only white male property owners could vote or hold public office (We Hold These Truths to be Self-evident). |