The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a document and law that Abraham Lincoln set into motion, hoping it would eventually end all slavery. On January 1st, 1863, Lincoln officially said that all slaves that were in rebellious (Confederate) states, were free. This meant that all slaves were now able to fight for whatever side they wished in the war, start a life as an American citizen, and essentially live the "American Dream." However, the Proclamation was limited because essentially, it was a military measure. Only slaves in the states that had already seceded were free, not in the border states. Also, slaves in states that had seceded but were again under Union control (like Tennessee), were allowed to be free. The Emancipation Proclamation did not fully end slavery, but it gave Blacks a hope that they never had before; that they may be able to be seen as equals later on.
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment officially ended slavery and the trade of slaves in the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln pushed the bill through the Senate on April 8th, 1864. At first, the Senate approved of the bill, but the House did not. Lincoln decided it was time to take a more active role in the passing of the bill and told the House that it was essential to future Presidential elections Without the amendment, the future presidential candidates would have nothing to base their campaigns on. The House eventually passed the bill on January 31st, 1865. By December 6th, 1865, the amendment had the required amount of state ratifications that were needed to become official. Because of this amendment, African-Americans no longer had to live a life of solitude. They were now able to live life free of the worry of being controlled or forced into a life they didn't want. Future generations now had a chance at a life of equality among the whites that had previously oppressed them.
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment would be the amendment to give citizenship and natural rights that were stated in the Bill of Rights to former black slaves. This included life, liberty, and property, and that no person could be processed or put in jail without trial. These rights were now to be extended to the Federal and state governments. The 14th Amendment became an official amendment on July 28th, 1868. However, it became a huge issue within the Supreme Court on whether or not the 14th Amendment was truly extending the Bill Of Rights to the states; meaning, were the rights of black's protected? The answer would be no. Even though the amendment stated that all former slaves and African-Americans would have the same rights as a white person, it didn't always happen. Many people petitioned and enacted court cases to go against the 14th Amendment. This caused a huge struggle for the African-Americans that just wanted to be treated equally as everyone else. They had just now gotten their freedom and now wanted rights to protect those freedoms. Sadly, the fight for these rights would be a long and hard one.
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the amendment that allowed African-American men to vote. Fully enacted on February 3, 1870, this was a huge step for African-Americans. Finally, their voices could be heard in politics and they finally had a say in things; or so they thought. The southern states didn't particularly care for this amendment and practiced white supremacy to an extreme. They ensured African-Americans wouldn't be able to vote by using things like the "grandfather clause" to stop them. The "grandfather clause" meant that if an African-American's ancestor hadn't voted in the 1860 election, they could not vote either. Also, the Jim Crow laws and Plessy vs. Ferguson court cases would reduce African-Americans in social classes and create segregated voting polls. It wouldn't be until the 1960s, almost a century later, that African-Americans would have full voting rights. After a long and dutifully fought struggle, they finally got what they wanted and deserved.
Works Cited
. "The Emancipation Proclamation." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=34 >.
"The 13th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=40>.
"The 14th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=43 >.
"The 15th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=44>
N.d. Daily KosWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/02/915171/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-GOTV-poll-watch-special>.
N.d. This Day In HistoryWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://todaysdrum.com/3884/this-day-in-history-the-15th-amendment-to-the-constitution-adopted/>.
Protecting the 14th Amendment. N.d. Reform Immigration for AmericaWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/blog/blog/protecting-the-14th-amendment/>.
The 14th Amendment. N.d. GlogsterWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.glogster.com/janthony/the-14th-amendment-ja/g-6njme6ah5cqav32qde1moa0>.
N.d. The Ann Arbor ChronicleWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://annarborchronicle.com/category/opinion/page/2/>.
What Does The Bible Say About Slavery?. N.d. Bob Enyart LiveWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://kgov.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-slavery>.
US Slave. N.d. BlogspotWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://usslave.blogspot.com/2011/03/chapter-2-of-dawn-of-freedom_31.html>.
Draft Emancipation Proclamation travels the state. N.d. Capitol ConfidentialWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/156443/draft-emancipation-proclamation-travels-the-state/>.
"The 13th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=40>.
"The 14th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=43 >.
"The 15th Amendment." . N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=44>
N.d. Daily KosWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/02/915171/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-GOTV-poll-watch-special>.
N.d. This Day In HistoryWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://todaysdrum.com/3884/this-day-in-history-the-15th-amendment-to-the-constitution-adopted/>.
Protecting the 14th Amendment. N.d. Reform Immigration for AmericaWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/blog/blog/protecting-the-14th-amendment/>.
The 14th Amendment. N.d. GlogsterWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://www.glogster.com/janthony/the-14th-amendment-ja/g-6njme6ah5cqav32qde1moa0>.
N.d. The Ann Arbor ChronicleWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://annarborchronicle.com/category/opinion/page/2/>.
What Does The Bible Say About Slavery?. N.d. Bob Enyart LiveWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://kgov.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-slavery>.
US Slave. N.d. BlogspotWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://usslave.blogspot.com/2011/03/chapter-2-of-dawn-of-freedom_31.html>.
Draft Emancipation Proclamation travels the state. N.d. Capitol ConfidentialWeb. 24 Nov 2012. <http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/156443/draft-emancipation-proclamation-travels-the-state/>.