A document drafted in 1956 by Southern members of Congress, formally titled “Declaration of Constitutional Principles,” opposed the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. This declaration asserted that the Court’s decision was a clear abuse of judicial power and an unwarranted intrusion upon states’ rights. Over one hundred members of Congress signed the document, signaling widespread resistance to desegregation efforts in the South.
The significance lies in its encapsulation of Southern resistance to federal mandates regarding racial integration. It illustrated the deep-seated commitment to segregationist policies prevalent throughout the region and demonstrated the lengths to which Southern politicians would go to maintain the existing social order. Its issuance amplified the already existing tensions between the federal government and Southern states, contributing to the escalating Civil Rights Movement.