Reconstruction Amendments
Reconstruction Amendments
The end of the Civil War period was a critical period for the U.S, especially on issues related to slavery as an institution. During this period, three crucial amendments to the constitution happened to establish political equality for all Americans. These amendments were critical as they also transformed the relationship between states and the federal government. For instance, the 14th Amendment changed the decision made by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case, which had determined earlier that black Americans were not American citizens (Primary Source Project 14, n.d). Imperatively, this essay addresses the three Reconstruction Amendments, there crucial differences and reasons that implored radical Republicans to seek more amendments after the 13th Amendment. The article also explores how the amendments changed the state and federal governments’ relationship.
The Reconstruction Amendments
These amendments to the constitution occurred within five years after the end of the Civil War. They included the 13th, 14th, and 15th signaling historical times that implored the government to change laws after sixty years from the last Amendment, the 12th Amendment. These changes were critical in implementing the policies focused on reconstructing the South after the war. The proponents of these changes believed that they would transform the country from a nation of considered to be “half slave and half free” to one where constitutional liberties were guaranteed and extended to all people.
The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865 and suggested that slavery should be abolished, except for those who had committed and convicted of a crime. The Amendment was ratified by 27 states and guaranteed freedom to black Americans (Primary Source Project 14, n.d). However, the ratification did not mean that racial discrimination would end as the white southern leaders promulgated black codes focused on limiting or preventing freed people from enhancing social and economic status. In 1868, the 14th Amendment was ratified to extend the suffrage rights to black men. Through an alliance with White Republicans, many blacks were elected to different public offices that included positions in both state and local governments in the election of 1870 as a result of this Amendment. The 14th Amendment was proposed in 1866 and ratified two years later to address citizenship rights as well as equal protection of the laws for all Americans. Imperatively, the interracial assemblies in the states improved the living conditions of blacks as well as whites through the provision of funds for public education and other social services.
In 1870, after the election of a substantial number of blacks to state assemblies, the 15th Amendment was enacted. The change prohibited the discrimination of voting rights of people based on race or color or during servitude conditions. The implication is that all individuals, despite their race, could vote in several states as long as they meet other requirements to be eligible voters, like property ownership.
These amendments had several differences that include the need to protect and guarantee liberty and the right to vote. For instance, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and any form of servitude, while the 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship to all people irrespective of the racial composition. The 15th Amendment outlawed discrimination in suffrage and made it possible for many people to participate in elections (Primary Source Project 14, n.d). Radical Republicans believed that the abolition of slavery was not enough through the 13th Amendment. They posited that there was a need to have new laws to protect the minority and stop discrimination, especially after white southern leaders and states started enacting black codes to limit the economic and social activities as well as mobility of blacks and former slaves. Through these codes, these states perpetrated different forms of racial discrimination and practices that treated blacks as second class citizens despite the amendments to the constitution.
National Supremacy Amendment
The promulgation of the Reconstruction changes was critical in defining and reforming the relationship between state and federal authorities in the country. The end of the Civil War marked a shift in the balance of power between the state and the federal government in different ways. The South, which supported the Confederate forces, was defeated by the North through the Union forces. The victory of the Union placed an end to the right of states to secede as well as challenge legitimate national statutes and laws. The implication is that the federal or national government became a powerful entity and had more leverage in policy implementation and formation as well as the enactment of laws, especially those concerning the rights and liberties of citizens. Secondly, the federal government, through Congress, imposed many conditions to readmit former Confederate states back into the union. Among the conditions that states had to meet to get readmitted was the ratification of both 14th and 15th changes. The implication is that at the end of the Civil War, the national government attained more powers and gained supremacy over the state governments. The defeat of states that wanted to secede from the union marked the beginning of a stable federal government that could impose laws on state governments and therefore be supreme. The period demonstrates an effort by the national government to establish its position and power under the new federal structure, which led states to resist attempts to protect their interests. It is during this time that the principle of national supremacy became evident as the scope of the federal constitutional restricted the encroachment of these governments on national powers.
Conclusion
The Reconstruction amendments remain a critical phase in the guaranteeing of civil liberties and rights to many Americans irrespective of their racial backgrounds. It is also during this time that the principle of national supremacy emerged as the federal government increased its authority through the constitutional changes to the chagrin of state powers.
Reference
Primary Source Project 14 (n.d). Testing and Contesting Freedom. PDF.