Impact Of The 14th And 15th Amendment Under U.s. Policy Essay

The 14th and 15th Amendments of the Constitution were passed after the American Civil war and were designed to enfranchise the African American population and bring the country into a new time of acceptance and equality. The 14th amendment of the Untied

The 13th amendment abolished slavery. However the states made their own laws that still affected African Americans in a negative way. This caused for the making of the 14th amendment to be made. The 14th amendment gave a further blow on the fact that all persons born in the United States have The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This allowed for African Americans to get more rights within the states. However the states still made ways to retard the rights of the African American people. This can be seen in elections during reconstruction. The southern states found ways to block African Americans from voting. The 15th amendment is the amendment that allows for any citizen to vote and that this right can't be taken away By the federal government or the state

This paper will discuss reconstruction and what it is. It will also briefly explain the reconstruction period, how it came about, and how long it lasted. This paper will continue on to discuss the Reconstruction Amendments. These amendments are the Thirteenth , Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. The historical context and significance of each of those amendments will be explained in this paper. This paper will then be concluded with the key points made in this paper as well as a recap of what the meaning of each of the amendments mentioned in this paper is. By the time you reach the end of this paper you should have a better understanding of what reconstruction, the reconstruction period and Reconstruction Amendments are.

On a date that will be remembered forever as a step forward for our nation, July 28, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment gave a new sense of hope and inspiration to a once oppressed people. It was conceived to be the foundation for restoring America to its great status and prosperity. The Amendment allowed “equal protection under the law”, no matter what race, religion, sex, sexual preference or social status. It was designed to protect the newly freed slaves. However, it only helped the white race.

The success and the approval by the necessary three-quarters of U.S states, the 14th Amendment guaranteed to the newly freed slaves protection and citizenship along with all its privileges. This amendment resolved any pre-Civil War concerns of the African American community’s citizenship by stating that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside” (Primary Documents of American History, 2011). This amendment also reinsured that they had the equal rights and privileges of the rest of the citizens, and granted all these citizens the “equal protection of the laws” (Primary Documents of American History, 2011).

At this, the federal government took control of the southern states not yet readmitted to the Union. In order for the states to get readmitted to the Union, they needed to agree to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. Amendment fourteen guaranteed all citizens the same rights without regard to color. Amendment fifteen made it illegal to discriminate against people based on race in voting rights. African Americans and northerners held a number of government positions during this time, and southern whites did not really accept these governments. Southern whites used legal and illegal means to fight the changes in the status of African Americans.(Royster 7,8)

Imagine living in a world where everyone was considered equal. Imagine living in a world where people were considerate of others. Imagine living in a world where everyone had the same rights and privileges. The Framers took a step at achieving this world with the passage of the 14th amendment. The intent of the 14th amendment was to prevent state governments from denying African Americans in the U.S. from their citizenship. At the time Africans were unable to attain citizenship because of their skin color. The Framer’s objective in formulating the 14th amendment was to grant citizenship to everyone born in the U.S., regardless of skin color. The 14th amendment expanded the protection of civil rights to all citizens in America.

The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868 and the amendment was put in place to protect former slaves and their rights in life. The most important part of the amendment reads, “No state shall ‘deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person… the equal protection of the laws.’” This simple statement has one of the most profound and incredible parts of the United States today. The equal protection of the laws show that there must be equal treatment for all citizens regardless of race, class, or gender. Although there has been many racial events happening after this amendment was passed this clause still stands to today and has helped shape the United States for the better. Having this clause in the Fourteenth Amendment protects the ‘little guy’ and makes sure that everyone has the same ability to do whatever everyone else is doing.

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is commonly regarded as a major victory against racism that further advanced democracy in America. Adopted on July 9, 1868, it attempted to transform the oppressive culture of the Confederacy by granting citizenship rights to all people born or naturalized in the United States and affording equal protection under the law to all U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, in spite of aiming to put an end to discrimination against African-Americans and other minority groups, this important amendment did not entirely succeed in eradicating racism during the Reconstruction era.

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were also sources of power for the national government when it came to its jurisdiction over the states. By passing laws against slavery and allowing "equal protection under the law," the national government gave itself the power to enforce those laws and therefore enhanced authority over the states. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and in section 2 stated that "Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." By adding section 2 to the amendment, Congress was simply ensuring their supremacy over the state governments. Among other things, the 14th Amendment guarantees "equal protection under the law" to all citizens. Since all citizens are guaranteed protection, it is left up to the national government to make sure all citizens are receiving these rights. Even though many thought that the 14th Amendment meant that the Bill of Rights was

But even though the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States, whites still continued to treat blacks unfairly! Senate.gov states that the struggle to fully achieve equality would continue into the twentieth century. Let’s dig a little deeper into life after the Civil War! So the 14th amendment gave the right for blacks to vote and gave them protection under the law!

Constitution. This amendment was to help African Americans with citizens rights and equal representation. The U.S Constitution stated that the 14th amendment said “all person born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” The 14th amendment provided African Americans that was born in the United States equal citizenship with other natives in the U.S. It also limited the power of states that they could not take away the rights of the citizens of the United States.

The most ground-shaking changes in the country coming from the government were the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments. Although they faced resistance, the amendments began the integration of Freedmen in society. The thirteenth amendment freed slaves, making African Americans real people with free will, open to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Further expanding African American rights, the fourteenth amendment officially made them US citizens with rights equal to their white neighbors. Finally the fifteenth amendment allowed African Americans to vote. In addition, Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction pardoned the former confederate states if ten percent of the state pledged allegiance to the United States. Without this merciful

It is important to have equal protection of the law because that ensures that everyone will be treated the same. This means that one person can’t have better opportunities than another because of their race. This specific topic was very controversial in 1868. Equal protection o the law is basically what Martin Luther King was fighting for. He wanted everyone no matter what your race was, to be treated equally. African Americans at the time were treated brutally by whites and didn’t get the same treatment. Whites had many advantages and still do to this day, though most people like to believe that racism doesn’t exist.

On 1866, the Fourteenth Amendment was passed by both house of congress, it seemed like it was designed to grant citizenship, and protect the civil rights of newly freed slaves. However, the South’s economic was mainly based on plantation (tobacco), so the Fourteenth Amendment’s purpose was to ensure the North has more political and economy advantages after the Civil War.