Introduction to Civil War Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution were passed as a result of the Civil War and are vital to the history of the US. These amendments, often called the “Civil War Amendments,” aimed to eliminate inequality and discrimination against African Americans.
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime (Foner, 2019). This Amendment aimed to eliminate slavery, which was one of the leading causes of the Civil War.
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment, passed in 1868, guarantees equal protection under the law and protects the civil rights of all people born or naturalized in the United States, including African Americans (Foner, 2019). The purpose of this Amendment was to safeguard African Americans’ rights and end discrimination.
15th Amendment
Regardless of race, color, or history of slavery, Americans are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th Amendment, which was ratified in 1870 (Crum, 2019). This Amendment sought to ensure African Americans’ right to vote and abolish electoral discrimination.
Effectiveness of Amendment Implementation
Although these amendments were added to the Constitution, their implementation took time to effect after their passage. Until the 1960s, African Americans continued to face discrimination in many areas, including voting, education, and employment (Diffley, 2020). Despite this, the Civil War amendments were an essential step toward ensuring equal rights for all Americans.
How the 1877 Presidential Election Influenced Their Implementation
The presidential election of 1877, which became a subject of dispute between the Republican and Democratic parties, impacted the implementation of the amendments (Diffley, 2020). As a result of the compromise known as the “Compromise of 1877,” the Republican Party abandoned its claims to victory in the election in exchange for the Democratic Party agreeing to end federal government intervention in the affairs of the southern states (Diffley, 2020). This led to a gradual restriction of the rights of African Americans and the introduction of a system of racial segregation in the southern states, which made it challenging to implement the Civil War amendments.
Conclusion
Overall, although the implementation of the Civil War amendments was initially limited, they became an essential tool in the fight for equality and justice in the US. They aim to eliminate discrimination and protect the civil rights of all Americans, regardless of race, skin color, or past conditions. These amendments continue to play an essential role in our modern lives and remind us of the importance of fighting for equality and justice in the US.
References
Crum, T. (2019). The superfluous Fifteenth Amendment. Nw. UL Rev., 114, 1549.
Diffley, K. (2020). Where my heart is turning ever: Civil War stories and constitutional reform, 1861-1876. University of Georgia Press.
Foner, E. (2019). The second founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction remade the Constitution. W.W. Norton & Company.