Second Founding: How The Civil War And Reconstruction Remade The Constitution, By Eric Forner

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“The Second Founding: How The Civil War And Reconstruction Remade The Constitution '' by Eric Forner is about how the American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction converted the Constitution and the country itself. In the book Eric Forner analyzes many different struggles that the United States went through during the era of Reconstruction. Despite Eric Forner analyzing different struggles, two of the struggles that are mentioned a lot in the book are the political and social struggles of the Reconstruction era. Despite there being many different points Eric Forner makes throughout the book, the main argument that Eric Forner argues is how the Reconstruction era after the Civil war was a crucial transformative moment in United States history. Impact was most noticeable in the constitution being adjusted and a lot more comprehensive which made a …show more content…

These three amendments are all very powerful and important amendments because the 14th amendment granted equal rights under the law and in Eric Forner’s words he states “While the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 granted former enslaved people the right to be recognized as citizens” Downs, Jim. Sick from Freedom (p. 8). The 13th amendment abolished all slavery and the book by Eric Forner states “the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, which formally abolished the institution of slavery.” Downs, Jim. Sick from Freedom (p. 23). Last but not least the 15th amendment which simply “enabled freedom to vote” Downs, Jim. Sick from Freedom (p. 8). There are many arguments that Eric Forner speaks about in his book despite the main one being how the Reconstruction era after the Civil war was a crucial transformative moment in United States history. Eric Forner also argues how the reconstruction amendments which were the 13th, 14th, 15th, were a response to the failures of the original Constitution that was