Post Civil War Reconstruction Amendments
Although post Civil War reconstruction was painstaking process that incited a lot of prejudice, violence, and political unrest, with the creation of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments - or reconstruction amendments - the United States was successfully mended back to a collective country. The reconstruction amendments provided a framework for how the post-war society would conduct themselves, the hopeful theme being “With Malice toward none, with charity for all” (Lincoln, 2nd Inaugural Address). The amendments would be passed in a five year span, immediately after the Civil War, in hopes to provide stability. The first Reconstruction Amendment passed in 1864, which was the13th amendment. It was the tool that freed all slaves residing in the United States. The 13th amendment was the first step in black Americans gaining equality, and gave the black community a foothold in their fight for justice. However, the government provided no compensation or federal aid to freedmen. Furthermore, the majority of freedmen were uneducated, and only had working skills in the agricultural field. This led to sharecropping, an arrangement in which someone could use a farmer’s land, and in
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return provide the farmer with a share of crops. Many sharecroppers disputed with their former slave owning tenants too. To make matters worse, former Confederate states started passing “Black Codes,” a term for racist laws meant to impede Black Americans from prospering. Despite all of this, freedmen had new opportunities to succeed in the U.S., and many black Americans pursued education, or became well renowned, such as Booker T. Washington, or W.E.B. Dubois, two Black rights activists. Ultimately, the 13th amendment was a success, in that it opened up opportunities for African Americans, and started a movement. The succeeding amendment passed in 1868, the 14th, and was a major factor in Black people gaining equality. It stated that anyone born in the U.S. was a citizen, and was entitled to due process under the law, and made it so that that was irrevocable. The southern states were made powerless in their pursuit to pass laws dehumanizing African Americans. This amendment basically stated that all people under the Unites States were subject to fair treatment and equal rights (even if Plessy v. Ferguson would make that harder late on). Although Blacks were discriminated against and segregated, the law stated that they would have to be treated equally to everyone else. This was a major key in the fight for equality. The 14th amendment was an important factor in Reconstruction, and the future Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. Two years later came one of the most renowned amendments - the 15th.
The 15th amendment stated than any male citizen, regardless of color, or past servitude, could vote, and that the states could not deny them this. Having the right to vote was a huge victory for Blacks. White Americans, especially those in politics, could no longer ignore them, since their vote could decide who became Governor, Senator or even President. This gave Black people a lot of power bot socially, and politically. The fact that people who were once enslaved could vote, also helped developed an argument for women to gain suffrage, which occurred 50 years later. The 15th amendment was a major step toward equality, and was a huge win for the United States, even if people during the 1870’s could not see that at the
time. The three reconstruction amendments were huge successes, although they caused a lot of political and social uproar. Without these amendments the world today might have been a very different, very unprogressive place. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s might never have happened, interracial marriage marriage might have been illegal today, and a black President might not have been elected. For a long time after these amendments were passed, Black people were seen as still inferior, and were degraded for years. Even now, it is up for debate if Blacks have reached full equality, due to mass incarceration rates and frequent police brutality. All in all though, the Reconstruction Amendments were successful and beneficial to the world.
return provide the farmer with a share of crops. Many sharecroppers disputed with their former slave owning tenants too. To make matters worse, former Confederate states started passing “Black Codes,” a term for racist laws meant to impede Black Americans from prospering. Despite all of this, freedmen had new opportunities to succeed in the U.S., and many black Americans pursued education, or became well renowned, such as Booker T. Washington, or W.E.B. Dubois, two Black rights activists. Ultimately, the 13th amendment was a success, in that it opened up opportunities for African Americans, and started a movement. The succeeding amendment passed in 1868, the 14th, and was a major factor in Black people gaining equality. It stated that anyone born in the U.S. was a citizen, and was entitled to due process under the law, and made it so that that was irrevocable. The southern states were made powerless in their pursuit to pass laws dehumanizing African Americans. This amendment basically stated that all people under the Unites States were subject to fair treatment and equal rights (even if Plessy v. Ferguson would make that harder late on). Although Blacks were discriminated against and segregated, the law stated that they would have to be treated equally to everyone else. This was a major key in the fight for equality. The 14th amendment was an important factor in Reconstruction, and the future Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. Two years later came one of the most renowned amendments - the 15th.
The 15th amendment stated than any male citizen, regardless of color, or past servitude, could vote, and that the states could not deny them this. Having the right to vote was a huge victory for Blacks. White Americans, especially those in politics, could no longer ignore them, since their vote could decide who became Governor, Senator or even President. This gave Black people a lot of power bot socially, and politically. The fact that people who were once enslaved could vote, also helped developed an argument for women to gain suffrage, which occurred 50 years later. The 15th amendment was a major step toward equality, and was a huge win for the United States, even if people during the 1870’s could not see that at the
time. The three reconstruction amendments were huge successes, although they caused a lot of political and social uproar. Without these amendments the world today might have been a very different, very unprogressive place. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s might never have happened, interracial marriage marriage might have been illegal today, and a black President might not have been elected. For a long time after these amendments were passed, Black people were seen as still inferior, and were degraded for years. Even now, it is up for debate if Blacks have reached full equality, due to mass incarceration rates and frequent police brutality. All in all though, the Reconstruction Amendments were successful and beneficial to the world.