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非裔美人长久以来就为了能被含括在「权利法案」所规定的各项自由权利之中而奋斗
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新兴的美国于1791年12月15日通过权利法案 (Bill
of Rights)
然而，宪法会议与梅森的看法却有一点不尽相同。一直到1808年，这些制宪元勋仍然允许贩卖奴隶。梅森认为奴隶交易根本就是「对人类的不尊重」。他认为奴隶也应该得到自由与受教育的机会。因为这些开国元勋无法解决包括这项议题在内的问题，于是美国才会发生血腥的内战。后来，经过一百年之后，美国各州与地方法律才得到更改，让非裔美人能够享有，并实践「权利法案」所规定、确保的各项自由。而1950年代与1960年代的公民权利运动，更让美国人开始对种族隔离与歧视的现象有所警觉。
There was one issue, however, that the Constitutional Convention did not resolve to Mason's liking. The founding fathers compromised, permitting the continuation of the slave trade through 1808. Mason called the slave trade "disgraceful to mankind." He wanted instead to free and educate slaves. Because of the inability of the founding fathers to resolve the slavery issue, among other problems, Americans struggled through a bloody Civil War. Yet, it would take another hundred years to remove a web of state and local laws that prevented African Americans from a fuller exercise of freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s helped raise the awareness of Americans to the injustice of segregation and discrimination.
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