The Conflicting Legislation of National and State Governments
Following the end of the Civil War, the newly reformed nation began efforts to mend wounds opened during wartime. In the wake of these reconstructive efforts new laws were created by the national and state governments. Two examples of laws made at this time are the Black Codes of Mississippi written in 1865 and the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction written by Andrew Johnson in 1865. These two documents demonstrate that contention continued to exist between the federal and state governments after the resolution of the civil war regarding the federal government’s power over state governments. The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction outlined the