What Is The Significance Of The 13th Amendment Dbq

The 1860s were a tumultuous time. From the election of an anti-slavery, republican president and his subsequent undoing, to a civil war tearing a nation in two, times were troublesome. Due to these times, many legislators took advantage of the times to make amendments to the country and solve some of the most pressing matters of the time. One of the issues that had been at the forefront for decades had been the rights of African Americans. Whether it be the abolitionists in the north, or the freed slaves in the south, many were clamoring for congress to figure out solutions. The Civil War led to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, but this was only a war provision and people were searching for a more permanent answer. In addition to

This brought about an amendment, which seemed radical at the time, and caused much debate and dissent, but would forever change the United States of America. The 13th amendment was likely the most notable amendment passed during the 19th century. Its purpose was simple, it abolished slavery, but yet it did still maintain clauses allowing imprisoned felons to be put to work in forms of monitored servitude. Although states were unwilling at first, the amendment came to fruition after the end of the Civil War. Although many were happy with their newfound freedom, even more questions arose. Many of the slaves were released from their bondage, often with nothing more than the clothes on their back. With no property, no money, and often no education, what were these newly free men and women to do? This amendment was successful in its goal of abolishing slavery, but it in turn created many problems with the freed slaves. To counteract this, subsequent legislations were passed to assist in the shift from slavery to

To answer these questions, the 14th and 15th amendments were added to the Constitution. The 14th Amendment established citizenship to those who were born in the United States, which overturned the Dred Scott Case of 1857, which declared African Americans could not be citizens. This Amendment granted said citizenship, as well as clauses within the amendment that outlawed states from infringing on the guaranteed rights of citizens, regardless of their race, gender, or creed. African Americans were also counted as a whole person, not 3/5ths of a person. In addition to citizenship, this amendment set the stage for the passage of the 15th amendment. The 15th amendment granted universal male suffrage in the United States. This was the last of the amendments passed of the reconstruction era, but it created a lasting impact, both socially and politically. African Americans now had the right to vote and involve themselves in the matters of the nation, but they were met with great adversity. As stated in the textbook, “...Southern whites found black political involvement intolerable; they were shocked and outraged that their world had been turned upside down. (Pg. 319)” This caused African Americans to catch the brunt of legislation and hatred, that would continue to limit