1996 Dbq
In the timespan of 1860, the beginning of the Civil War, to 1877, the end of Reconstruction, many social and constitutional developments took place. Such developments included secession of the south, disputes over civil liberties such as voting, the ending of slavery, and the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. These expansions were very revolutionary to an extent but due to the intrusion of white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, couldn’t fully prosper.
The constitutional aspects of the advancements that took place were very crucial in this time period. One of these was the South Carolina Declaration of Secession, which was introduced in December of 1860 right before the Civil War began. In this document the government of South Carolina provides its reasons for it seceding from the United States, such as the North’s disregard for the Constitutional rule supporting slavery, and this was a big step for the formation of the Confederacy (Doc. A). Another major political move was when African Americans petitioned the Union convention of Tennessee that if they were forced into military duty they should also be allowed to vote (Doc C). This was a very bold move for blacks in America because it was an attempt for a higher authority to take notice of racial suffrage issues. Later on at the very end of the Civil War Lincoln’s Secretary, Gideon Welles, wrote a diary entry that he feels that the Federal government should have no control over the matter of suffrage in any states and that getting rid of slavery should be done constitutionally but spoke nothing of the matter of civil rights for blacks (Doc. D). All these controversies over slavery, suffrage and citizenship rights were solved during Reconstruction when the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were added to the United States Constitution (Doc. G). The passing of these amendments was a huge revolution for America because it was now finally giving equality to all men. Although the
The constitutional aspects of the advancements that took place were very crucial in this time period. One of these was the South Carolina Declaration of Secession, which was introduced in December of 1860 right before the Civil War began. In this document the government of South Carolina provides its reasons for it seceding from the United States, such as the North’s disregard for the Constitutional rule supporting slavery, and this was a big step for the formation of the Confederacy (Doc. A). Another major political move was when African Americans petitioned the Union convention of Tennessee that if they were forced into military duty they should also be allowed to vote (Doc C). This was a very bold move for blacks in America because it was an attempt for a higher authority to take notice of racial suffrage issues. Later on at the very end of the Civil War Lincoln’s Secretary, Gideon Welles, wrote a diary entry that he feels that the Federal government should have no control over the matter of suffrage in any states and that getting rid of slavery should be done constitutionally but spoke nothing of the matter of civil rights for blacks (Doc. D). All these controversies over slavery, suffrage and citizenship rights were solved during Reconstruction when the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were added to the United States Constitution (Doc. G). The passing of these amendments was a huge revolution for America because it was now finally giving equality to all men. Although the