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A discussion on the US Supreme Court; this is specifically what we're talking about.

An important point to remember: in OTL both the Slaughter-House Cases (1872-3) and United States v. Cruikshank (1875-6) were decided five to four. So supposing each were reversed? That is to say, the 1870's finds the Supreme Court:
  • finding that privileges and immunities of citizenship of both the whole United States and the states in particular were to be protected by the Fourteenth Amendment
  • incorporating the Fourteenth Amendment, so that the Bill of Rights might be (partially) applied to the state governments
How would subsequent US law and jurisprudence be affected? Or America as a whole for that matter? For example, with precedent like this, is it more plausible that the 1875 Civil Rights Act is upheld in whole or in part? More generally, could this lead to a more successful Reconstruction and stronger civil rights? Or what other effects could we have?
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