...During the Radical Reconstruction the African Americans found themselves still treated as slaves, even after the new amendments were made to end slavery. This is because the Black Codes kept the slaves in slave-like conditions. The 15th amendment states that former slaves have the right to vote, but some states put taxes on the polls called poll taxes. Also the former slaves had to take literacy tests in order to be allowed to vote, which was unfair because the slaves were illiterate. African Americans find themselves restricted from rights guaranteed to them by Congress in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments because of Black Codes, poll taxes and literacy tests. In December of 1865, southern state legislature passes a law that was designed...
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...There are 3 Amendments that has had a great impact in US History and the people of today. These are the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments also known as the Civil War Amendments. The 3 Amendments were designed to ensure equality for recently emancipated slaves. The Civil War Amendments banned slavery, defined citizenship, and ensured voting rights. These Amendments are still very important today. The 13th Amendment made slavery illegal forever in the United States. The 13th Amendment was a very important amendment to the slaves in the 1860s. It was also the first amendment that gave rights to the slaves. The 13th Amendment still plays an important role on people of today. If it weren’t for the 13th Amendment, slavery could’ve still continued...
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...Bill of Rights and Amendments Salvatore Coco HIS/301 AUGUST 15, 2013 Christina Winn Bill of Rights and Amendments Although the Constitution was written primarily to define and represent the ideals and dreams of men for freedom of life; liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there were many imperfections because of the compromises required to get the document ratified by the states involved. Amendments to the Constitution were added to correct these deficiencies, including the Bill of Rights and the first 10 amendments. However, the Bill of Rights still did not adequately address the issues of slaves. Amendments 13, 14, and 15 were added in an attempt to fulfill the gaps left by the original 10. These amendments were also a precursor to future amendments addressing civil right issues during the Civil Rights movement. How and Why Amendments are added to the Constitution The Constitution was approved in 1788, including Article V stating how amendments would be added. Amendments were needed either as an improvement, a correction, or an addition. There are two ways to pass an amendment although only one has ever been used. The first method takes two-thirds of the house and Senate and three-fourths of the states to have a proposed amendment ratified. The second method, although never used requires a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the House...
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...The 13th Amendment stated by the federal government that blacks were guaranteed the right of citizenship, overruling the Dred Scott case. The 13th Amendment help abolish slavery in the United Sates, including involuntary servitude. Before the 13th amendment, slaves were sold, mistreated, abused discriminated etc. With the new law passed, they were sought to be as equal as the white man. This Amendment expanded the idea of the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the nation to prevent and illegalize slavery. Martin Thayer spoke for his fellow antislavery advocates when he asserted, “We have wiped away the black spot from our bright shield and surely God will bless us for it.” Every person was equal before the law so no person can hold another person as a slave because each person is at the same level as the other person. No one is higher or lower. Since the 13th was approved by the House and Senate, when people heard the previous quote from Martin, the House broke out in cheers; the Blacks in the audience were moved by the reaction of the whites surrounding them. The 14th Amendment states that, “All persons 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...
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...The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, basically known as the Civil War Amendments, were designed to ensure equality for recently emancipated slaves. The 13th Amendment banned slavery and all involuntary servitude, except in the case of punishment for a crime. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially abolished slavery in America, and was ratified on December 6, 1865, after the conclusion of the American Civil War. The 13th Amendment was important because it created a constitutional amendment that banned slavery in all of the American states. The Emancipation Proclamation, although frequently credited for abolishing slavery in the United States, only declared slavery illegal in "rebelling" parts of America - so basically within the Confederacy. States fighting for the Union who had slavery systems (Maryland, West Virginia, East Tennessee) were not required to free their slaves. The passage of the 13th Amendment addressed this issue and formally outlawed slavery in the territorial us. In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and...
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...the Reconstruction Amendments, particularly the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment was one of three Amendments of the Reconstruction, along with the 14th Amendment, which was focused on citizenship and passed in 1868, and the 15th Amendment, which was focused on voting for African-Americans, and passed in 1870. The premises of the 13th Amendment was to abolish slavery. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, by the House on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery as a legal institution. But at first, the 13th Amendment had a different purpose. It was to guarantee the legality and perpetuity of slavery in the slave states, rather than to end it. This caused complicated sectional politics of the antebellum period, and a futile effort to preclude Civil War. Under presidential war powers, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1,...
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...The 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments have all greatly affected and changed the lives of many Americans for different reasons. Each of these amendments has to due with giving people equal rights no matter what race or gender that they may be. These are all tremendous milestones in American history. First, the 13th amendment was passed in 1865 to end slavery. African Americans were no longer allowed to be considered as property. Instead, they became viewed as real people, and slavery was banned unless it was used as a form of punishment This amendment was passed because before and during the civil war, most northern citizens strongly stood against slavery. They thought it was unjust to make people work for long hours and to be treated unfairly. This amendment clearly and effectively signified that no American citizen could own slaves....
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...Bill of Rights and Amendments Tahitia G. Brown HIS/301 May 17, 2012 Abeba Salter-Woods Bill of Rights and Amendments The original United States Constitution was ratified in 1787. However the current document by which all laws are governed was confirmed and made into law on September 17th of 1789. This document enabled the people some control over government, which was created not only for them by also by the said people. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in a manner, that the text could evolve and mature just as the persons for which it was written. This paper will detail how and why amendments become a part of the constitution, problems which have arisen due to the original document motivating the adoption of the Bill of Rights and their effects. Further listing other issues arising, due to changes in society which have led to amendments thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, and their affects (University of Phoenix, 2010). Amendments In Article V of the Constitution an amendment process was adopted to ensure that as changes in society occur, so should the document by which all inalienable rights and freedoms are explained in depth. The aforementioned article stipulates the ways in which the Constitution may be amended. The first is by a two-thirds vote from both the House and Representatives and the Senate and 38 of the 50 states must ratify the proposed amendment, which has been the only manner in which all...
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...The Reconstruction Era was from 1865 to 1877, following the Civil War. In this era, the United States experienced reconstruction to help restore its socioeconomic and physical environment from the aftermath of the war’s damage. Some goals included ensuring civil rights to free African Americans through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, reuniting the Southern States into the Union, and trying to restructure and build the ties between the state and federal governments. However, Reconstruction also led to the failure to protect African Americans through the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups, and the economic success that was gained during Reconstruction was not evenly distributed and was unstable. Reconstruction became successful...
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...The reconstruction of the 13th and 14th and 15th amendments White people did not want blacks to stand up and participate in political or any kind of issues or freedom or become educated 1. When the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in 1865, and the black people embraced education, built their own churches, reunited with their broken families and worked very hard in the sharecropping system, nothing was enough for the Reconstruction to succeed. 2. Whites never gave total freedom to African Americans. Blacks were forced to endure curfews, passes, and living on rented land, which put them in a similar situation as slaves. In 1866, the KKK started a wave of violence and abuse against 3. Negroes in the south, destroying their properties, assaulting and killing them in different ways, just because anger white people do not want the blacks to stand up and join in political or any kind of issues or freedom. The Reconstruction Amendment freed African American from slavery and stablish some key rights for them. 13th Amendment 1. Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaration. all people that were...
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...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper On September 17th, 1789 The United States Constitution was ratified and made law. The founders of United States Constitution had the foresight to give the constitution a way to grow and adapt with America’s needs, by including an amendment process to change or add to the rights of Americans. The amendment process has allowed America to continue growth and prosperity throughout the years and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. The amendment process will be covered in this paper along with the. The author of this paper will also look at later amendments to the constitution with an emphasis on amendments 13, 14 and 15 and the effects they had on America culture and society. The Purpose of Amendments The constitution was created with an amendment process in Article V to allow the document to adapt to changes in American society. According to article V of the Constitution an amendment can be passed by either a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a convention where two-thirds of the legislatures meet over an amendment. After the Amendment is approved in the convention process it must then be ratified by 75% of the state legislatures (UMKC School of Law, 2013). Without the Amendment process the United States would have been bound by the same rules that applied back in the late 1700’s. The Amendment process has made it possible for the Constitution to change...
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...The Civil Rights Amendment are very important to the U.S citizens.The three main goals were to give citizenship,equal rights, and to abolish slavery.The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments in the Constitution which are civil and protection to the former slaves. It has made African American lives better. The emancipation proclamation gave a moral Cause to the Civil War. Lincoln worried that it would not be relevant post-Civil War. Republicans wanted to gain power in the south post-Civil War. Natural republicans needed to punish old Confederate leaders. The 13th amendment said neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been convicted shell exist within the united states or any place subject to their jurisdiction....
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...effect and included the Bill of Rights that provides us with our freedoms. Each of these amendments is very important to the way we live in today’s society and play an important role in our lives. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the foundation for our country and the Amendments it includes gives our citizens their individual rights. The Constitution is what separates us from any other country. Certain Amendments were able to pave the way for all groups of individuals to have equal rights. The Constitution is a living document and was created that way to keep growing and changing to evolve with the American people. Our founding fathers understood that times would change the United States would grow and have different issues then our forefathers had. Because they understood this when they created the Constitution of the United States which included article V. Article V of the United States Constitution states that whenever two thirds of both houses decides an amendment is necessary they can propose it. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution after it is ratified by three fourths of the 50 states. An amendment means a change, addition, correction or alteration to the current Constitution. The reason our Constitution has amendments is because our country is constantly being change. Without amendment would be stuck to the same rules and regulations as our forefathers. Amendments were made to the Constitution in order to improve it. The Constitution was created by...
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...Bill of Rights and Amendments Bill of Rights and Amendments The United States Constitution was recognized to Americans as a vague statement in clarifying the privileges and the rights of individuals and centralizing the power within the government itself. With the passing of the Bill of Rights and the first ten amendments, it grants the people to what is said to be their “natural rights” following additional rights that have significantly changed our society. Amendments and Constitution According to the Constitution, an amendment may be proposed and be presented, where it is put to a two thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The original article is then forwarded for processing and publication to NARA's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) (U.S. Constitution, 2011). The OFR maintains the document until it is either adopted or a failed amendment, then it is transferred for protection to the National Archives. Soon after a proposed amendment is ratified by three-fourths of the states, it becomes a part of the Constitution. (U.S. Constitution, 2011) Not all proposed amendments are accepted and must meet certain constitutional purpose to be passed, for example: after the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and stating that “all men are created equal” the institutionalized system of servitude was a reason to pass to what is now the 13th Amendment of the Constitution and the abolition of slavery. This amendment provided that neither...
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...not get pregnant is through the choice of abstinence, but they still choose to have sex. With this being a problem it makes abortion look really evil due to careless and selfish choices that women are making today. Abortion has been overthrown and battled in many courts with different cases and the procedure of abortion has granted because the right of the constitution protects the choices that women make with the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. The constitution protects the rights of women in many different ways including the choice of what women want to do with their bodies. These three amendments make abortion legal and create a bigger problem of diminishing this evil operation for the fact that abortion has been approved by judges all across America. In prior cases, such as Roe vs. Wade, argue that in the case of abortion, it is unconstitutional to take the rights of women away as a citizen and force women to birth a child. In the case of Roe vs. Wade, abortion was granted and deemed constitutional and this decision was based on the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. Although this is only one case, there are many...
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