...Equal Rights for Some On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted into the system, giving freedom that may have never been intended. This document specifically affected blacks. One effect was the emancipation of slaves, which gave blacks their freedom. Although blacks tried to get equal rights into the new constitution, there has been several alterations which extended from the freedom of slaves to the egalitarianism amongst men and women. The position of slavery was involved in the drafting of the document. The declaration contained an evident undertake of liberty and equality that was discontented for African-Americans prior to the Civil War and was only moderately rewarded after. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the declaration...
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...Women’s Hour Parts 2 – 6 Notes Declaration of Sentiments Based on the declaration of independence, the declaration of sentiments was a copy of the aforementioned document with the exception that instead of addressing the British, it addressed men in general. Women called for basically equal rights; nevertheless, the right to vote became controversial and the primary cause for division even among radical women. Susan B. Anthony Started out as an abolitionist and temperance activist. Anthony eventually became friends with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and both of them would work together and keep the movement going for 50 years. Susan refused to get married as it would interfere with her speeches and commitment to the cause. U.S. Sanitary Commission...
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...Justice Roger B. Taney made a declaration that 1820 Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional thereby legalizing slavery countrywide. The Plaintiff Dred Scott had appealed to the Supreme Court to gain his freedom after living in the Free States of Illinois and Wisconsin before moving to the slave state of Missouri (Van and Maltz, p.144). The Judge Taney, who staunchly supported slavery, wrote that because Scott was black which nullified his citizenship had no right to sue in the federal courts. This ruling was in agreement with the Court's majority opinion. In his writing, he emphasized how the Negro belonged to the white man as of property, and the white man could reduce him to slavery as he wished (O'Connor, and Yanus, p.120). He further wrote that the black man had no protection from the Declaration of Independence that justifies all men to be equal because the intent of the Declaration of Independence was not to include the enslaved African race. Scott had sued in a state court in 1846 for his freedom because he had sojourned in a free state for a surmountable amount of time. In 1840, the state court made a declaration that Scott was free. Mr. Sanford appealed this decision to the Missouri Supreme Court (Cromwell, p.165). The case reached the Supreme Court after eleven years. The ruling of the Supreme Court was the worst in history. The13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution overturned the decision of the Supreme Court. The two amendments abolished enslavement and declared...
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...solely in the home and family and therefore, at social and church gatherings they were also considered lesser. Although many women were discontent with their lack of rights, only a couple were actually courageous enough to make a change. Among the few were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, two of the organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention. With only five days between their decision to hold the convention and the convention itself, they drew up the Declaration of Sentiments; a declaration that would be...
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...known to the public. These topics greatly affect the public as many of them are social issues. Racism is more than likely one of the biggest topics that should be addressed publicly. Although there has been various movements and actions to completely abolish racism, it still exists all over the world. The average person probably does not know about the issue that is racism in today's society. Racism is a topic that is widely controversial and that should see cease to exist. Racism is something that more people should be aware of. It is fair to stand against it. Racism is almost a violation of one’s unalienable rights. Making differences in people based on their race is in abuse of the “all men are created equal” phrase in the Declaration of Independence (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017). The act of judging others or being disrespectful is simply absurd. People should be judged and categorized by personality and skill. Racism is a major conflict that greatly affects people all around the world and should be demolished. Before taking action, one would know very little about the topic. It may be how some people are ignorant or just the fact that others did not know....
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...States in 1865, however racial discrimination and prejudice against black people was still a prevalent issue. Even after the civil war and the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, states still continued to implement laws that inhibited equal opportunities for African Americans along with other social injustices blacks faced from other people due to the racist mentality of the time. Homer Plessy, a resident of Louisiana, decided he was going to stand up for his rights by defying these laws to bring forth the idea that states legislatures do not abide by the constitution and the 13th,14th, and 15th amendment in these newly developed laws to demonstrate the inequalities African Americans still faced....
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...St. Gregory’s University Freedom of Assembly Out of the first ten Amendments, called the Bill of Rights, the one that is considered the most important is the first Amendment. It is considered as such because it protects the rights that we hold dearest, and it is important to a democratic government by stating what it is not allowed to do. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration , 2014). In 1787, James Madison received a letter from Thomas Jefferson discussing how wrong it was to not include a Bill of Rights in the Constitution, and made the statement "A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth" (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, 2014). One of the important rights guaranteed in the first Amendment, freedom of assembly, it is important to a properly functioning democracy. Political parties rely on this right, ensuring that they are free to interact with others in order to inspire confidence among their constituents and hold political rallies and conventions sponsoring presidential candidates. Society as a whole relies in part on the rights guaranteed by the first amendment, and limitations imposed on those rights are important when the situation...
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...Plessy V. Ferguson was a case during 1896 that caused a lot of controversy. This case stated that an octoroon (⅛ black) who wasn’t happy with how states were handling African Americans newly found freedom. To Plessy it seemed as if even though the Declaration of Independence had affirmed that “all men are created equal,” Americans didn’t see it that way. There was still prejudice in America and so black’s were forced to sit separately from whites or drink from different fountains. Little pointless details were made into a big deal. Plessy being ⅛ black, but still looking like an American, was never told to move to use the colored facilities until one day he was asked if he was part African American, and Plessy admitted to it. However, that didn’t stop Plessy from sitting at the front of the railcar, and because of his refusal he was arrested and brought to the United States Supreme Court, claiming the fourteenth amendment. Custom, Precedent, and Federalism the three systems of ruling were embodied into the discussion and the outcome of the case. Each...
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...marriage often raises a tangle of questions questioning human rights, federal overreach, state rights and religious code. Same-sex marriage has become an enormous civil rights issue. Who is society to judge someone, who doesn’t care about society’s opinion? Many oppose same-sex marriage, but there aren’t really any valid reasons against it. I would choose to oppose the Amendment to ban same-sex marriage. When you are born in the Unites States or become a legalized citizen, you are granted certain unalienable rights under the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. So who are we to turn an American citizen away from the rights given to them? Denying marriage to same-sex couples is a violation of religious freedom. The Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 by the Congress says “states do not have to honor same-sex marriages performed in other states” (Harrison et al. 2011, 771). The act goes completely against the Full Faith and Credit provision of the federal Constitution. The Full faith and Credit Provision requires that states recognize the judicial proceedings and acts of other states. The 14th Amendment states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” (Fred Elbel/www.the14thamendment.us). Under the Due Process Clause, no state can deprive its citizens of life, liberty, or property. This means...
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...branch enforces the laws and policies and the administration of public affairs. 3. What is the term which describes this division of power into the 3 branches of government? The term that is used to describe the separation of power into three branches is called checks and balances. 4. Questions about interpreting the Constitution are decided by which branch of government? Questions about interpreting the constitution are decided by the judicial branch. 5. Under the US Constitution, Americans are free to disagree with and criticize government officials. Which amendment guarantees this right? The first amendment guarantees these rights. 6. The colonists did not want the government to have the ability to search people’s home whenever they wanted and for any reason. What amendment to the US Constitution addressed this concern? The fourth amendment addressed this concern. 7. In the Declaration of...
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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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...tighten the reins by raising taxes on things such as tea and housing unwanted soldiers in people’s houses. The patriots started to revolt because Britain was taking our money and making all the rules, taking away the freedom we wanted. Our founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence so that we could make our own choices, about our law, not Britain. They believed in a land of opportunity that everybody could flourish. The founding fathers help fight a war to accomplish their American dreams and it worked. America is now a free country were people prosper and a free to do what they want as long as it is legal. People immigrate here too in order to escape the not-so-free country that they lived in. Everybody, that is a legal citizen, has a chance that their American dream because of our law, the Constitution. The Constitutions consists of 27 amendments and 10 of those come from the Bill of Rights. They cover what we, as Americans, can and cannot do. I think the two most important amendments in the Constitution is the first amendment and the 14th Amendment. The first amendment is so important because it is the reason why our ancestors came this country in the first place. For freedom of religion. The first amendment allows everybody to practice whatever religion they would like. Whether it is Catechism, Buddhism, or no religion at all the government has to let you practice it. People have even gone to court over their religion. In the year 1963, the Schempp family filed a...
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...The United States government protects its population from the government itself. This form of political Redundancy is best exampled by the "Bill Of Rights". The 1st amendment grants a religious minority individual "liberty" in a government with separation between church and state. Americans can practice any religion they want. Civil Liberties are a cornerstone to successful democracy, Letting citizens have power over government as it has tendency to become invasive and capital driven. Civil Rights refer to laws put in place to discourage discrimination and encourage equal treatment. These laws can be enacted to protect an effected demographic. The citizens of the United States culturally have always been on the cutting edge of civil...
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...public view on its Facebook event page after the tiny number was dwarfed by more than 24,500 Facebook users committing to participate in the "reverse boycott." (What they cannot hide, however, is the tiny number of followers on this supposedly national anti-gun groups' Facebook page - just 258. By comparison, Buckeye Firearms Association has over 11,700.) Many participants agreed to pay and/or tip with $2 bills to signify support for the Second Amendment. And while it is impossible to measure the exact financial boost the reverse boycott had on Starbucks' bottom line, the anecdotal evidence posted at the Facebook event page for the 'BUYcott' suggests it was substantial. The comments also suggest that most store managers weren't aware of the NGVAC boycott, but they were definitely aware of the increased business thanks to gun owners! In case you missed our article a few days back, the National Gun Victims Action Council has decided to start a movement for all anti-gun supporters to boycott Starbucks this Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2012. In response to this boycott, a few bloggers have started a Starbucks Appreciation Day “BUYcott” to counter the NGVAC’s rally. To participate in the Starbucks Appreciation Day, the call-out is to...
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...way of dividing the cotton from its seeds, so slaves were the number one resource of growing and harvesting the influential crop. In 1777, Georgia signed on to the Declaration of Independence and soon established its first of ten state constitutions. Following the first, the second constitution would be added in 1789 which provided a bicameral type of government, modeled by the first three Articles of the federal Constitution. Finally, in 1793, slaves would no longer use their hands to pry seeds from cotton daily. With the invention of the cotton gin, seeds could be divided efficiently and cause Georgia to begin its plantation society. Slavery continued growing as the cotton and agriculture industries continued earning more and more money. Although Georgia farmers and settlers had a substantial amount of profit from their crops, they did not live in mansions and they were not treated as southern royalty. Instead, they were described as living in agricultural toil and religious obligations. In 1820, the nation was split in half by free states and those who still owned slaves. Finally, after many acts and debates, Georgia was forced to abolish slavery in 1861. During this time, Georgia was also forced to ratify its 13th and 14th Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery across the nation and the 14th Amendment forced equality and that no state should deprive any person of their life, liberty, or property without a good reason. Post-World War II, Georgia’s business had gone...
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