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<font size=3>So is my find still the earliest for the rights of
blacks/slaves? ;-)<br><br>
Joel<br><br>
At 6/30/2009 03:47 PM, Jesse Sheidlower wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at
03:20:00PM -0400, Joel S. Berson wrote:<br>
> Under "civil, a." sense 5.b., the OED has as part of its
definition<br>
> "spec. in the U.S., the rights of Black people as
citizens." Its<br>
> first citation for this sense is 1866. (Its only earlier
citation<br>
> here, 1721, is clearly about the rights of the [white male] people
of<br>
> the colony of Massachusetts against the royal prerogative.)
There<br>
> are 19 quotations (anywhere) for "civil right[s]" earlier
than 1866,<br>
> but I suspect none apply to the rights of slaves or blacks.<br><br>
For what it's worth, this entry is under revision now, and our<br>
treatment is rather different. Also, our earliest quotation is<br>
now from 1614. (There are still earlier examples on EEBO, but<br>
apparently being used in opposition to spiritual or divine<br>
rights, instead of referring to the right of the citizen in<br>
society.)<br><br>
Jesse Sheidlower<br>
OED<br><br>
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