The Impact Of States Rights During The Reconstruction Era Of The Us.

1496 words - 6 pages

The issue of states rights is one that has been quarreled over since the birth of the United States. In 1787, debates arose on whether to ratify the Constitution, which would create a more supreme federal government, or to keep the Articles of Confederation, in which states had many more rights and powers (Batchelor 7-14). Shortly after the Constitution was ratified, Kentucky and Virginia wanted to nullify a federal law that they didn't agree with, but the Supreme Court established that the right to nullify a law didn't rest with the states (22-24). From 1819 to 1854, slavery as a states right was profoundly argued when deciding if the new states that entered the Union were to be slave states or free states (27-32). Tensions mounted between the North and the South, and after the election of 1860, the Civil War broke out (36). The South thought that the states had the right to secede from the US, but after they lost the war, they were proven wrong (38).After the Civil War, the South faced devastating losses (Hakim 12). Reconstruction, the period of time in which the people of the South tried to reorganize and rebuild the region, began in 1865 (14). In order to restore the Union and to resolve all problems that had still existed, Congress passed laws, acts, and proposed amendments. Many of these pertained to slavery and states rights. The Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 firmly established equal rights for all. The Fourteenth Amendment enforced the Civil Rights Act even more by granting citizenship to blacks (Roberts and Franklin 267). Furthermore, the Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed black suffrage (Roberts and Franklin 268). All of these amendments limited the rights of the states, and are evidence of the battle between federal supremacy and states rights. This battle for power within the government during the Reconstruction greatly affected every aspect of the United States by guaranteeing equality and rights to African-Americans, things they never had before.Before the Civil War, the slavery was a states right; the individual states could decide if they want to allow slavery or not. This changed, however, after the war ended on December 18, 1865. After it passed through both houses of Congress by January of 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified by the required 3/4 of the states, or a total of 27 states. This amendment abolished slavery in all states and territories of the United States, and it took away slavery as a states right. Although the states had lost one of their rights, they had some control over it since they could use their right to either accept or reject amendments (Batchelor 40)The ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment greatly affected the United States economically. Now, about three and a half million slaves were free from their owners. Southerners who once owned slaves now lost their laborers. Economically, most freedmen and freedwomen were very poor and had no property because...

Read more

Find Another Essay On The impact of states rights during the Reconstruction Era of the US.

Analyze how the American way of waging war during WW2 influenced the United States in the conduct of limited warfare in the post-World War Two era.

976 words - 4 pages Question:Analyze the American way of waging war compared to the Japanese and German conduct of war in World War Two and how that experience influenced the United States in the conduct of limited warfare in the post-World War Two era. Address the societal aspects of the United States as they influenced its way of war. Be specific in your answer by discussing technology, tactics, formations, organizations, weaponry, training, doctrine and

How did the civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam campaigns impact society and law enforcement during the 1960s and 1970s?

594 words - 2 pages Starting with the Free Speech Movement in 1964, college and university students massed in numbers to speak about their rights and what they wanted to see done in the world. The civil rights movement founded by Martin Luther King Jr., wanted peaceful protests, but on the day of King's assassination, the biggest riot happed in the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C. Between the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam protests, the

Trade protection in agriculture by European Union and the United States results in gains for some and loss for others. Evaluate the impact of US Farm Policy or EU Common Agriculture Policy on...

2328 words - 9 pages Question 2Trade protection in agriculture by European Union and the United States results in gains for some and loss for others. Evaluate the impact of US Farm Policy or EU Common Agriculture Policy on developing countries.The European Union (EU) is the agricultural leader among developed countries in international trade. It is well-known as a world's major food exporter. In 2010, for example, its agricultural exports, mainly processed foods

A Historiography of the Reconstruction Era

4644 words - 19 pages Reconstruction Acts of 1867, which imposed military rule on the defeated states until they remade their governments on a basis of universal manhood suffrage. [4: Lynd, Staughton. Reconstruction. (New York, New York: Harper & Row, 1967). p 2-3]Generally, scholarship of the Reconstruction Era can be traced back to the early 1900s to William A. Dunning, James F. Rhodes, and Dunning's graduate students at Columbia University. In short, the Dunning

A Historiography of the Reconstruction Era

4644 words - 19 pages Reconstruction Acts of 1867, which imposed military rule on the defeated states until they remade their governments on a basis of universal manhood suffrage. [4: Lynd, Staughton. Reconstruction. (New York, New York: Harper & Row, 1967). p 2-3]Generally, scholarship of the Reconstruction Era can be traced back to the early 1900s to William A. Dunning, James F. Rhodes, and Dunning's graduate students at Columbia University. In short, the Dunning

US foreign policy during Vietnam war era and today

2147 words - 9 pages involvement in Vietnam, as the South Vietnamese Government which the US were defending was not truly democratic. Another event also shows that this explanation is flawed: In 1956 during the anti-Communist rebellion in Hungary, the leader of the rebels, Imre Nagy appealed to the United States for help to bring about democracy in the country, but his was ignored. Clearly the idea that the USA's main priority was to spread democracy does not stand up to

The Reconstruction Era

1484 words - 6 pages postponed until the next year after President Abraham Lincoln had came up with a strong support for it.14th AmendmentRatified on July 9, 1868, during the Reconstruction Era. This Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including former slaves, and provided all citizens with "equal protection under the laws," extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. The Amendment authorized the

The Reconstruction Era

707 words - 3 pages , poisonous gases and collapsing coal that would descend from the walls, tackling the accused with sickening blows (PBS.org). Convict leasing was part of a rampant refusal to accept the 14th amendment to the Constitution. Reconstruction was an important addition to the Civil Rights Movement. The era was a phenomenon in African American rights, proving that the country was in a stand point where enough US citizens wanted the abolition of

The Reconstruction-Era

956 words - 4 pages The Reconstruction-Era The Reconstruction-era offered numerous opportunities to African-Americans, by attempting to secure the rights for ex-slaves, but the opportunities presented even more obstacles to them. The thought of freedom intrigued the African-Americans at first, but many of them quickly changed their minds after experiencing it. Henry William Ravenel, a slaveowner, proclaimed, "When they were told

The Reconstruction Era

575 words - 2 pages with no voting rights or economic equality for former slaves. Lastly, the Southern Freedman were former slaves who believed that they should be guaranteed equal political and economic rights and protected by the federal government from the undergoing power of southern conservatives. However, Lincoln approached Reconstruction "With Malice Toward None." He planned to readmit the southern states into the Union with as little military rule as possible

The Reconstruction Era - 778 words

778 words - 3 pages After the Civil War the South had to be rebuilt. This was known as the Reconstruction Era. During the Recontruction Era a lot of time was devoted to the south by the nation.In fact there was a reconstruction plan made by President Abraham Lincoln.The point of his plan was to make the rebuilding of the South quicker. However the South did face some hardships, benefits, and disappointments during that time. For example, the South

Similar Essays

State Rights During The Reconstruction Era.

1509 words - 6 pages Changes in Sate rights During Reconstruction Era.The issue of states rights is one that has been quarreled over since the birth of the United States. In 1787, debates arose on whether to ratify the Constitution, which would create a more supreme federal government, or to keep the Articles of Confederation, in which states had many more rights and powers (Batchelor 7-14). Shortly after the Constitution was ratified, Kentucky and Virginia wanted

Role Of The United States Supreme Court In Obtaining Equality For Blacks During Reconstruction

1595 words - 6 pages what rights Blacks should have. With the end of the American Civil War, Blacks were granted their freedom however they were still inferior to whites with legal enactments such as the Black Codes. As time went on, Blacks were continually discriminated against, especially in states south of the Mason Dixon Line (the Southern states that had believed in slavery). As time progressed and more liberal thinkers were added to the Supreme Court, Blacks

Racial Inequalities During The Civil Rights Era

1441 words - 6 pages During the civil rights era the amount of racial inequalities that were present within society were immense. They ranged from the inability of African Americans to attend school with whites, use the same water fountains or even ride in the same section on buses just to name a few. Many influential figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X fought to eliminate those inequalities. These influential figures had their own

Evaluate The Impact Of Key Policies And Legislation Enacted By The Australian Federal Government During The Vietnam Era.

1409 words - 6 pages of the Vietnam War. Under the newly elected Gough Whitlam Government, the last of Australia's Vietnam soldiers were back home in 1972 (Anderson, 2004). This ended Australia's involvement in the war after more than a decade, the last impact of policies and legislation enacted by the Federal Government in the Vietnam Era.Australia's key policy during the Vietnam Era was Forward Defence. Australia's application of this policy of keeping the

Other Popular Essays

Television Essay.
Big Media. Essay
Organizational Behavior at My Company. Essay
"Echoes of the Great Song" by David Gemmell.
The Infestation of Feminism. Essay
Giannarelli v Wraith. Essay
The Advantages and disadvantages of principled bargaining.
Religions do not a sacred book.
Get inspired and start your paper now!