States-rights arguments in Congress blocked federal anti-lynching legislation.

Evidence

Some southerners, to be sure, were appalled by lynching, and organizations of blacks protested and lobbied to get federal legislation. Southern members of Congress blocked any movement in this direction, flying (as usual) the banner of “states’ rights,” which apparently included the right to murder blacks with impunity. The federal government showed little or no interest in enforcing the civil rights of minorities, with rare exceptions. — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 3899

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Congress debated forcing Georgia to seat Black legislators denied their offices — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project: A New American Origin…, 822

Broader Connections

• Congress debated forcing Georgia to seat Black legislators denied their offices #complicates (0.80) — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 822