Civil Rights and Civil Liberties - Course Trailer

The United States Declaration of Independence reads: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." That sounds great, but who does it apply to, and what are those rights? That's what we are going to discuss in the few.

In these lessons, we're going to think about what rights do you have as an individual and what rights might you give up to the state. We'll talk about the history of civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. Even though we have these very powerful and very high-minded words in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, not all men—and especially not all women—had these types of rights as the nation was founded in the 1780s and 1790s.

How did that evolve, and how will that story continue to evolve as the United States tries to become a more perfect union? In these lessons, we're going to make sure we understand the difference between, say, a civil liberty and a civil right. We're also going to learn a lot about the Bill of Rights and what liberties and rights they protect.

Finally, we're going to learn how people have organized throughout American history to make change and to ensure that, as a nation, we are as just of a nation as possible. So whether your concern is, "What rights do I have if I get arrested?" to, "How do I make sure that I live in a just society?" these lessons are going to be interesting for you.

I'm excited about going on this journey with you, and if you want to learn more and get deep practice with immediate feedback, I encourage you to look at these lessons on khanacademy.org.