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Article 1: Reconstruction Amendments
Transcript of 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)
AMENDMENT XIIII
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.
Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.
Excerpt from Transcript of 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)
AMENDMENT XIV
Section 1.
All persons bor or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty,or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Transcript of 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights (1870)
Fortieth Congress of the United States of America; At the third Session, Begun and held at the city of Washington, on Monday, the seventh day of December, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight. A Resolution Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two-thirds of both Houses concurring) that the following article be proposed to the legislature of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures shall be valid as part of the Constitution, namely:
Article XV.
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Article 2: Political Cartoon, about the "The Union As It Was" by Thomas Nast, 1874
In his 1874 cartoon titled, "The Union as It Was," Thomas Nast depicts a member of the Ku Klux Klan and a member of the White League shaking hands atop a skull and crossbones that rests above an African-American woman and man huddled over their dead child as a school house burns and an African American is lynched in the background.
By 1874, three amendments from article 1 had been added to the U.S. Constitution and Congress had passed numerous Reconstruction and civil rights acts for the benefit of former slaves.
In two sentences Was Reconstruction a success or failure? Consider the political, economic, and/or social impacts of Reconstruction on society in your response.
#1 In one sentence , State your thesis.
#2 in one sentence, Consider the claims supported within text.
# 3 find quoted evidence from at least two of the provided articles and include an explanation of the specific claims from each to support your answer.
#4 Include quoted evidence from the articles that opposes your position in your rebuttal,
#5 in two sentences, Use persuasive elements such as word choice to strengthen the ideas that you express to make your argument and rebuttal.
#6 in one sentence, write an conclusion
#6 in one sentence, write an conclusion
Reconstruction was a mixed success as it had political, economic, and social impacts on society, with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments bringing about significant changes, while the persistence of racism and violence depicted in the political cartoon showed the limitations of the Reconstruction era.
The article provides evidence of the positive impact of Reconstruction, stating that "three amendments from article 1 had been added to the U.S. Constitution and Congress had passed numerous Reconstruction and civil rights acts for the benefit of former slaves." This supports the claim that Reconstruction had political and social impacts on society. Additionally, the transcript of the Reconstruction Amendments shows that the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed to abolish slavery, grant citizenship rights, and secure voting rights for African Americans, further supporting the success of Reconstruction.
In opposition to this viewpoint, the political cartoon by Thomas Nast depicts the continuation of racism and violence during the Reconstruction era, with the Ku Klux Klan and the White League engaging in acts of terror against African Americans. This evidence opposes the claim that Reconstruction was a complete success, as it shows that racial discrimination and violence persisted despite the amendments and acts passed during this period.
Using persuasive elements, words like "significant changes" and "limitations" are used to strengthen the argument and rebuttal. The mention of "positive impact" and "benefit of former slaves" highlights the successes of Reconstruction, while the depiction of "racism" and "violence" emphasizes the opposition to the viewpoint.
In conclusion, Reconstruction had both successes and limitations in its political, economic, and social impacts on society. While the amendments and acts brought about significant changes, the persistence of racism and violence illustrated in the political cartoon shows that there were limitations to the success of Reconstruction.