As president, Carter would finally succeed in passing a Civil Rights Act that gave blacks the full rights of Confederate citizens everywhere. He would see his landmark legislation, though, be held up in the federal courts as its constitutionality was challenged. Failing to see it go to the Supreme court during his term was one of the biggest disappointments of his political career. Internationally, his future role as 'peace maker' did not get off to good start. In the Mideastern country of Iran, after a regime change in which religious factions took over the government, 23 Confederate citizens were held captive 487 days, being released on March 4, 1981, minutes after Carter officially left office.