Thanks for all your help. This is my last question that I have. Promise. How this section of the 14th amendment significant during Reconstruction.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void
The US will pay its debts with these exceptions:
"...neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave;..."
So ... what will the fed and state governments pay for? What will they NOT be allowed to pay for?
I'm still confused.
Example: Southerners who had owned slaves would not be reimbursed by the government when all slaves were emancipated. (Do a little research and find out what Southerners paid for slaves on average, and then think about that amount times the number of slaves on a plantation or farm.) How much money a Southerner lost depended on how many slaves he had owned and how much he had paid for each. But once all slavery was declared illegal (emancipation of slaves), any Southerner's claim for reimbursement (when he "lost" all his slaves at once) was considered an illegal claim and would not be paid.
What's another example from the statement you posted above? What other kinds of claims would not be paid by either the federal or state governments?
During Reconstruction, the 14th Amendment played a crucial role in reshaping the United States after the Civil War. Section 4 of this amendment was particularly significant because it addressed the issue of public debt and its connection to the turmoil caused by insurrection and slavery.
At that time, the United States was burdened with a substantial public debt due to the costs incurred during the war, including pensions for soldiers and bounties for suppressing the insurrection or rebellion of the Confederate states. Section 4 ensured the validity of this debt, stating that it could not be questioned. This provision was crucial in maintaining the stability and credibility of the United States financially.
Additionally, Section 4 aimed to prevent the United States or any state from assuming or paying any debt or obligation that had been incurred to support insurrection or rebellion against the country. This provision reflected a desire to hold accountable those who had rebelled against the United States and to ensure that the government didn't financially support those who had engaged in acts of rebellion.
Furthermore, the section explicitly stated that any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave would also be deemed illegal and void. This clause affirmed that the United States would not compensate individuals for the loss of their enslaved property, a decision that was in line with the broader objectives of Reconstruction, including the abolition of slavery and the protection of the rights of newly freed slaves.
In summary, Section 4 of the 14th Amendment served to safeguard the public debt of the United States during Reconstruction while also ensuring that the government didn't assume or pay debts related to insurrection or rebellion. It also demonstrated a clear stance against compensating individuals for losses incurred as a result of slavery. By addressing these issues, Section 4 played a significant role in shaping the financial and social landscape of the United States during this critical post-Civil War period.