Research Symposium

BIO

I am a psychology major interested in history and research.

Bound by Law: Exploring Civil Rights in Early Florida

Abstract

The implications of legal precedent are a very important part of any society. Many people are affected by every law that is passed or overturned. Examining the laws of our past is an incredible way to ensure that new legal precedent does not repeat the same mistakes as that of our ancestors as well as put our perception of history into more accurate context. It is important to revisit and see what, if any, landmark advancements have been made in important legal areas.
This research examines civil/human rights via exploration of historical primary documents such as letters, legal records from warrants to supreme court rulings, and secondary documents like existing peer-reviewed journal articles discussing the civil rights records of the time to obtain an accurate understanding and description of how legal frameworks and precedents in early Florida shaped civil rights and addressed issues such as slavery.
These results indicate that early Florida legislature contained countless examples of prejudice and represented the ideology of Floridians at the time regarding African Americans. which was that they should not be equally represented in legal proceedings. Though lingering issues still arise nowadays, it is important to recognize our societal progress and fully comprehend our history.

Keywords: Florida, History, Civil Rights