A Proper Custodian of Freedom

How Grant and Johnson Used Presidential Power in Pursuit of Civil Rights

Authors

  • Trenton Wood Student

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/pur.2025.123

Keywords:

Presidential History, Civil Rights

Abstract

This paper is a cross-historical comparison of the Grant and Lyndon Johnson administrations in how they each used presidential power to uphold de jure civil rights. With a difference of around a hundred years, both Presidents acted on Congressional will differently, with a myriad of outcomes. These events are framed using Charles Sumner's “custodian of freedom” doctrine, which he devised in the Reconstruction landscape. This is coupled with the historic context that each administration operated in, to allow for a better understanding of the constitutional powers available to each administration.  Using this framing and context, major events in the Grant and Lyndon Johnson administrations are analyzed to draw conclusions about which presidents used their delegated presidential powers to enforce the laws Congress had passed.

Author Biography

Trenton Wood, Student

Trenton Wood is History Major and Political Science Minor at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and part of the Frederick Honors College. He is part of the class of 2027.

References

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Published

2025-11-03

How to Cite

Wood, T. (2025). A Proper Custodian of Freedom: How Grant and Johnson Used Presidential Power in Pursuit of Civil Rights. Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5195/pur.2025.123

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review

Section

Research

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Trenton Wood

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