Which act guaranteed property rights to all citizens regardless of race, including rights to inherit, purchase, and sell real and personal property?

• A. Civil Rights Act of 1968
• B. Americans with Disabilities Act
• C. Civil Rights Act of 1866
• D. Fair Housing Act

Answer: (C)

Guaranteeing equal citizenship rights for everyone, including the ability to own property, comes from the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This law defined citizenship and barred states from depriving people of fundamental rights because of race, specifically protecting the rights to inherit, purchase, hold, and sell real and personal property. It was enacted during Reconstruction to counter Black Codes and to establish a federal baseline of property rights for newly freed people and others. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 and its Fair Housing Act portion focus on preventing discrimination in housing transactions, not on establishing broad property rights for all citizens regardless of race. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects against disability-based discrimination, which is a different issue altogether. So, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 is the key statute that first guaranteed those universal property rights.