HY 104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Reconstruction Era
29 May 2018
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The Fourteenth Amendment
Shortly after passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Congress drafted
the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ensure that
the 1866 act would have its intended power. Although the amendment did not
give former slaves the right to vote, it guaranteed citizenship to all males born
in the United States, regardless of race. Republicans in Congress specified
that southern states had to ratify the amendment before they could reenter the
Union. In 1868, enough states ratified, and the Fourteenth Amendment was
added to the Constitution.
Protections for Former Slaves
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment were milestones
in the fight to give former slaves equal rights. The Civil Rights Act was the first
piece of congressional legislation to override state laws and protect civil
liberties. More important, it reversed the 1857Dred Scott v. Sanford ruling by
the U.S. Supreme Court, which stated that blacks were not citizens, effectively
legalizing slavery. In giving former slaves citizenship, the Civil Rights Act also
gave them—at least in theory—equal protection under the law.
The ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed that from that point
onward, no one in the United States—even a Supreme Court justice or
president—could deny a black person citizenship rights on the basis of racial
inequality. Constitutional law stood in the way. Of course, true equality did not
happen in a day; the first real steps would not be taken for another hundred
years. But the Fourteenth Amendment was a significant start.
Johnson’s “Swing Around the Circle”
Many southern whites were angered by the Civil Rights Act of 1866and the
Fourteenth Amendment. Angry mobs took to the streets in communities
throughout the South, and riots erupted in Memphis and New Orleans, leaving
many innocent blacks dead. The violence shocked many northerners, who
accused President Johnson of turning a blind eye. The president, in turn,
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Document Summary
Shortly after passing the civil rights act of 1866, congress drafted the fourteenth amendment to the u. s. constitution to ensure that the 1866 act would have its intended power. Although the amendment did not give former slaves the right to vote, it guaranteed citizenship to all males born in the united states, regardless of race. Republicans in congress specified that southern states had to ratify the amendment before they could reenter the. In 1868, enough states ratified, and the fourteenth amendment was added to the constitution. The civil rights act of 1866 and the fourteenth amendment were milestones in the fight to give former slaves equal rights. The civil rights act was the first piece of congressional legislation to override state laws and protect civil liberties. More important, it reversed the 1857dred scott v. sanford ruling by the u. s. supreme court, which stated that blacks were not citizens, effectively legalizing slavery.
