Loopholes around African American Rights

Civil rights granted to African Americans were subverted and hindered. Black codes issued special regulations that limited right to own property, engagement in occupations other than laborer or servant, and segregation of races in public areas. These policies also known as Jim Crow laws were violations of the Civil Rights Act in 1866. Although Republican governments passed civil rights act in support of African Americans, little effort was made to enforce its legislation. Thousands of black were murdered by whites in 1865-1866 (America Past and Present:  Chapter 16 pg. 216) and only few were brought to justice. The right for African American or black suffrage stirred greater tension amongst the whites. Feared that blacks would gain equal power, the whites organized mobs to keep black from voting. To limit an individual’s right to vote, a literacy test was issued. If he could not read he could not vote. Other methods issued to limit voting were poll taxes, property qualifications, or grandfather clause which meant, if an individual’s grandfather was a slave, that individual could not vote. These policies created difficulties against African Americans following their rights granted that were supposedly guaranteed the equal rights of men.

                 

Owl Creek Bridge summary

Peyton Farquhar a confederate planter lands himself on owl Creek Bridge with hands and neck tied in preparation of his lynch. He hears a sound similar to a blacksmith’s hammer clanging on an anvil seconds before his death.

 A disguised Union soldier as a confederate stands outside his home. Peyton is informed that Union soldiers have gathered to rebuild railroads near Owl Creek Bridge. The soldier successfully convinces Peyton to help sabotage the bridge however upon his arrival he is ambushed. When Peyton is hung, the rope breaks and he falls into the waters. He manages to escape by diving into the river avoiding fired bullets. He follows a road leading to his house and by morning break, he has found his wife. Peyton is fatigued and as he hugs his wife, he is shot.

The gunfire shot that killed Peyton represented the moment he was lynched. His escape was the imagination thought in merely seconds before he was hung.  

Amendments 13-15

The Constitution of the United States

The 13^th Amendment section 1 states the abolishing of slavery. Slavery shall not exist in the United States and will be considered a punishable crime. Section 2 states that congress will enforce this law, however can be changed under appropriate legislation.

            The 14^th Amendment section 1 summarizes the natural born rights or civil rights of an individual. Citizens naturalized or born in the United States are citizens of the United States and of the State he or she resides in. No state has the authority or power to expropriate citizens of their rights without due process of law. Section 2 issues the requirements of a representative and proportions of representatives per state. A representative must be 21 years of age, citizen of the United States, and without involvement in crimes. Section 3 no person will be elected President or Vice President or hold any office, regardless of previous government positions, if he or she has committed a felony or rebelled against the government. However Congress may vote 2/3 of each house to overrule this authority. Section 4 public debts, payments of retirement tax, and bounties for services of the United States will not be questioned. Debts against the United States or the loss of emancipation will be paid by the United States. Lastly Section 5 states the Congress power to enforce and change the article by appropriate legislations.

            Amendment 15 consists of two sections. Section 1 states citizen’s suffrage; persons shall not be denied his or her right to vote by the United States or any state because of color, race, and previous servitude. Section 2 recognizes the power of Congress to change this article. 

  Works Cited  

Robert A. America Past and Present. Eigth ed. Vol. 2. Print.

The Civil War

            On November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. In the following year an attack on Fort Sumter sparked the beginning of the civil war. Contradictions between the northern and southern states spurred causes leading to the civil war. The northern states believed that men were born with equal rights including African Americans. Slavery was disbelief among its states.  Its economic status was based on industrialization and since machineries had been used mainly on crops, slave labor was less required. Northern states produced numerous crops quickly. However the southern states thought opposite of the ideas that the northern believed. The south remained its economic status based on agriculture that required slave labor to produce its crops. Slave labor was an important essential to the southern states causing an immense disagreement between the two. After the secession of the southern states from the union, they became known as the confederates. The Union was in lead of winning the civil war. Its army surrounded and completely cut off supply routes of the confederate forces. In the year 1865 Robert E. Lee general of the confederate army, asked Commander in Chief Ulyss Grant to meet for terms of surrender at Appamatox courthouse.

                After the civil war in 1863 president Abraham Lincoln created a reconstruction plan to restore peace. The reconstruction plan offered a pardon to the confederate states in addition to building its government only if they took a 10% oath to the Union. However congressmen disagreed and believed that the confederates deserved greater punishment. In July 1864 congress passes its own bill called the Wade-Davis Bill. The Bill offered the rights for African Americans to vote and required a 50% oath to the Union. The Bill did not go into effect because Abraham Lincoln disagreed and pocket-vetoed. In the same year Lincoln was assonated leaving his quarrel with congress unfinished. Andrew Johnson Lincoln’s right hand man was made President.

                Andrew Johnson although right hand man to former President Abraham Lincoln, he supported slavery. He appoints North Carolina to elect office holders causing tensions between him and the congressmen. He begged the congress to ratify the 13^th amendment abolishing slavery. Under new presidency black codes were passed which meant that former slaved had special regulations. In 1866 congress created a freedmen’s bureau act that provided former slaves legal help, food, employment, and education. Second they created the civil rights act which granted equal rights to African Americans nullifying black codes. Johnson vetoed both acts however congress passed the civil rights act over his veto. Frictions between Johnson and congress continued. Congress passes laws that limited presidential authorities against the reconstruction plan as Johnson prevented the reconstruction plan going into effect with its implementation. The House of Representatives impeached the president following trial. The impeachment fell by one short vote. On trial, Johnson pledged to enforce the reconstruction plan, if granted to finish his term in office. After Johnson’s term, acts pertained to the reconstruction plan were in effect.

               

I am...

Davicia Tautai a Pacific islander from American Samoa currently living in the city. I selected San Jose City College to begin my studies in computer science. My goal is to earn an Associates degree by the end of my second year in San Jose City College. I plan to continue my studies in the University of Columbia in New York. I play sports such as softball, soccer, and track. I speak two languages fluently in Samoan and English.