The Civil War Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments happened between 1865 and 1870. After the Emancipation Proclamation took place in 1863, the 13th Amendment was enacted to abolish slavery (Lincoln & Dean, 2012). Subsequently, in 1868, the 14th Amendment was enacted. It guaranteed citizenship rights to African Americans and guaranteed the federal government’s protection, ensuring everyone had equal rights. Later on, the 15th amendment was enacted in 1870 and guaranteed rights for everyone except women (Mackey, 2010).
These amendments impacted everyone: African Americans, women, and the White. Blacks were given the right to freedom through slavery abolishment. They were also given the right to participate in societal activities; some held political offices. When enslaved, African Americans were not allowed to marry or have children and had no freedom of religion or to own anything. They were also denied the most basic needs in addition to being killed and physically and sexually abused. However, the 13th Amendment changed these, and they were granted their freedom. Also, the 14th Amendment granted them citizenship: they could access the privileges of a citizen. Lastly, African Americans could now vote thanks to the 15th Amendment (Mackey, 2010).
Unfortunately, the Civil War Amendments were not received well by some southern states, especially those involved in farming and needed labor, such as Missouri and Tennessee. To fight back against these changes, terrorist groups, including the KKK, white brotherhood, and Knights of the White Camellia (Smallwood, 2012), aimed at restoring their “white supremacy” sprung all across the southern states. Other methods used to circumvent the amendments were the laws of segregation of African Americans from public places, voting restrictions that required a tax, literacy tests, or elaborate voting systems that African Americans could not understand.
The tactics used to prevent the full implementation of the Civil War Amendments lasted almost a century until the civil rights movement in the 1960s, which abolished all segregation laws and voting restrictions. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant landmark in America’s history, which outlawed discrimination based on gender, race, religion, and ethnicity (Hersch & Shinall, 2015). In addition, women were given the right to vote.
References
Hersch, J., & Shinall, J. B. (2015). Fifty years later: The legacy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34(2), 424-456.
Lincoln, A., & Dean, R. (2012). The Emancipation Proclamation. Dreamscape Media.
Mackey, T. C. (2010). An Inestimable Jewel: The Civil War Era Constitutional Amendments and Their Continued Relevance. Alb. Gov’t L. Rev., 3, 676.
Smallwood, J. M. (2012). When the Klan Rode: Terrorism in Reconstruction Texas,” (pp. 214-242). Denton: University of North Texas Press.
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Question
How were the civil rights of all Americans initially impacted by the implementation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
How were they circumvented, and by whom? Finally, how did the civil rights guaranteed by the aforementioned laws become a reality for all of America?