Sunday, January 1, 2012

APUSH Lesson VI HW

1. The 13th amendment abolished slavery and established that Congress could enforce this law by appropriate legislation. The law was officially passed when ¾ of states ratified it. The 14th amendment was made to transform the principles of the Civil Right Bill into constitutional amendments. Thus, it removed the Civil Rights Bill and also protected Congress from a future southern takeover. It also guaranteed the citizenship of African Americans, but not voting rights. Before, African Americans could not sue in court because they were not citizens, like in the case involving Dred Scott. With the 14th amendment, blacks were considered citizens and could now sue in federal courts. Although they still lacked voting rights, the proportion of Congressional representation of states that denied suffrage was reduced. The south also lost its Congressmen because under the 14th amendment, they were not allowed to hold office. The government would also not compensate the slave owners for their loss of slaves. The 15th amendment had its ratification work cut out for it when the Military Reconstruction Act required states to grant full suffrage for blacks. Therefore, it paved the way for a less strenuous ratification of the 15th amendment. The 15th amendment wanted to ensure universal suffrage for all African Americas and strengthen Republican control over the southern states. It also assured that if the southerners ever came to dominate Congress again, they couldn’t revoke this suffrage.

2. Johnson was considered a lightweight in terms of punishing the south. Lincoln was more aggressive than Johnson, and the Radical Republicans were even more aggressive than Lincoln. Johnson only wanted slaves to be readmitted into the Union if they abolished slavery. Lincoln, was more concerned with having southern states set up a state government before they addressed the slavery issue. He also supported 10% of all Confederate states’ voters had to pledge allegiance to the United States in order to be readmitted into the Union. The Radical Republicans had the harshest readmission standards, calling for 50% 10% of all Confederate states’ voters had to pledge allegiance to the United States in order to be readmitted into the Union. They also required states to have a Constitutional convention that would require approval by the federal government. One area where all three agreed upon was that the Confederates had to pay their own debt. With regard to African Americas, everybody supported the abolishing of slavery, or the 13th amendment. Both Johnson and Lincoln did not support black suffrage. yet, Johnson and his administration failed to inhibit the South’s implementing of the Black Codes, which heavily restrained free blacks’ rights. The Radical Republicans were the most generous to the blacks, extending the Freedom Bureau Scope and making the Civil Rights Act. Eventually, all three groups supported the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment.

3. Plessy vs. Ferguson marked the failure of the Reconstruction period. This is because it constitutionalized black and white segregation. It stated that the two races would be equal, but made separate. This was especially true in public institutions, like schools. This segregation would end 58 years later in Brown vs. Board of Education.

4. One of the biggest failures of the Reconstruction was in changing the South’s attitude toward blacks and its government. Johnson’s minimal punishment failed to stimulate a true apology from the south. The establishment of Black Codes, nativist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. sharecropping practices, rise of a white-dominated herrenvolk democracy in the south, lack of women’s suffrage, failure to make black’s politically powerful, Civil Rights Cases, 1883, and other sorts of mistreatment to African Americans were the pinnacle of the Reconstruction’s failures. However, the Reconstruction did not come without success. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments helped to equalize blacks into society. The Freedmen’s Bureau, Military Reconstruction Act, and Civil Rights Act of 1875 were all formed as well during this time. Other types of reform like women’s property rights, education, and tax systems were also made.

5. The truth is, most Northern citizens did not feel too strongly about southern politics and black mistreatment. They were already preoccupied enough with civil war debts taxes, post-war recovery and the Panic of 1873.. Furthermore, it seemed to be an endless turmoil of southern politics: the north grew impatient. Northern politicians were also dreading the southern political scene, especially the carpetbaggers and the bayonet rule.

6.         The relationship between blacks and whites in the south did not experience the desired change that pro-abolitionists would have liked. Although there were a few improvements, the overall sentiment of the southerners was hateful toward the blacks.
            In antebellum times, slavery was justifiable, for example, in Document 1. In this document, Calhoun says that the world has always known slavery, that there was always an inferior race that served a more dominant race. This inferiority has carried through to post-Civil War times. In Document 3, the Goodings describe that “it was distasteful to have a Negro company of U.S. troops located here.” Sharecropping was also evident throughout the south to keep slaves bound to the white plantation owners through a constant cycle of debt. This persistent degradation of blacks in society did not vanish from the radar after the Civil War. In Document 4, Ogden describes the racism that occurred against blacks through the mob attacks and the simple fact that whites still presented themselves as the dominant race. The formation of the Ku Klux Klan also disturbed the peace. The KKK violently harassed blacks, and even whites who helped blacks. In Document 9, Plumly is harassed by fellow whites on being a “nigger teacher”. Black codes were also established in the south to restore the per-emancipation feelings as much as possible. This kind of discrimination and harassment is still apparent even though the war to eradicate these feelings has been fought.
            Although the discrimination was apparent, there were a few changes that improved the blacks’ status in society. They were given rights by 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, in which slavery was officially abolished, citizenship was granted for blacks, and voting rights were granted to blacks. Groups also formed to help protect the blacks in the south, for example, the Freedmen’s Bureau. In Document 7, Dr. Knox begins to treat freed slaves. He also condemns the segregation of blacks and whites, saying that it only further disturbed the peace. 

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