The Fourteenth Amendment Essay - 764 Words

On a date that will be remembered forever as a step forward for our nation, July 28, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment gave a new sense of hope and inspiration to a once oppressed people. It was conceived to be the foundation for restoring America to its great status and prosperity. The Amendment allowed â€Å"equal protection under the law†, no matter what race, religion, sex, sexual preference or social status. It was designed to protect the newly freed slaves. However, it only helped the white race. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment not knowing how it would affect all the other minorities. Minorities were still treated with disrespect and incivility from the white†¦show more content†¦For the greater part of the nineteenth century, black people were slaves for white men. The Fourteenth Amendment was placed into effect to protect the rights of the black community after emancipation. It stated that, â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States† would be supported under the doctrine. However, this article failed to uphold the rights of the newly freed slaves. The blacks, ridiculed and scorned by the public, were greatly suppressed by the white backlash. The states put into effect laws that would suppress the blacks even further, even though they were protected under the Amendment. The states made stipulations on rights the African Americans were granted, like the right to own land, vote, and even hold certain jobs. Voting was a major controversy for the newly freed slaves, they wanted the chance to be heard through politics. Nevertheless, they were still denied the simple right to vote in many of the states if they could not meet the prerequisites for reading or could not pay a voting tax. They made contracts for them to work for white men, just as if they were slaves and nothing changed. Black people were still waiting for their salvation under this new piece of legislation, but were unable to grasp it through the government. African Americans stood for their newly given rights under the Constitution and were denied by the people who putShow MoreRelatedThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1416 Words   |  6 PagesRepublican of Ohio had long been a believer in the idea of equal protection of the laws for all people, and was one of the leaders of the effort to pass the Fourteenth Amendment. While aware of the need to prove the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act with the Fourteenth Amendment, Bingham did not actually believe that the Fourteenth Amendment created any new rights. Rather, he believed that it created a new understanding of rights already in the Constitution. Bingham maintained that, â€Å"The†¦equalRead MoreThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1875 Words   |  8 PagesThe Fourteenth Amendment stopped unlawful actions by states. It also gave Congress the power to enforce the amendment through new laws that benefited and were fair to everyone. The Fourteenth Amendment represents part of the extension of the power of the national government over the states. It has been cited in more court cases than any other part of the Constitution. It made it possible for new legislation that has protected the rights of many throughout the United States and has helped uphold equalityRead MoreThe Fourteenth And Fourteenth Amendment1018 Words   |  5 PagesThe Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment Want to learn how everyone is equal? On May 17, 1954 the United States Supreme Court came to a decision that had immediate repercussions on the lives of black and white American citizens. Historic moment experiences have continually characterized these people into distinct racial and social entities. The thirteenth and fourteenth amendment had a positive affect on the problem of racism and segregation.The thirteenth amendment was created to abolishRead MoreThe Amendment Of The Fourteenth Amendment1532 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to the thirteenth amendment, â€Å"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.† The purpose of the thirteenth amendment was to end slavery or any form of involuntary servitude everywhere among the United States. There was new hope for African Americans throughout the country but unfortunately their freedom had a limit and coincidentallyRead MoreThe Issue Of The Fourteenth Amendment952 Words   |  4 PagesThe Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868 and the amendment was put in place to protect former slaves and their rights in life. The most important part of the amendment reads, â€Å"No state shall ‘deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person†¦ the equal protection of the laws.’† This simple statement has one of the most profound and incredible parts of the United States today. The equal protection of the laws show that there must be equal treatmentRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause Of The Fourteenth Amendment976 Words   |  4 PagesIt was in this case that the plaintiff, Abigail N. Fisher filed suit against the University of Texas with the claim that the University had violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 13th Amendment. The main question that arose in the q uestion was, â€Å"does the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permit the consideration of race in undergraduate admissions decisions†. The overall decision of the Supreme Court was that the University of Texas hadn’t violated the Equal Protection ClauseRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause Of The Fourteenth Amendment3764 Words   |  16 PagesThe equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was at first created to protect against racial discrimination, but the Supreme Court later expanded the clause to also providing equal treatment amongst different races. The clause says, â€Å"No state shall†¦deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws† (U.S. Constitution. Art./Amend. XIV, Sec. 1.) A person could not be discriminated upon solely because of his or her race and if the law treated aRead More The Fourteenth Amendment and Equality Under the Law Essay774 Words   |  4 PagesThe Four teenth Amendment and Equality Under the Law The Fourteenth Amendment was adopted in 1868 as one of the longest amendments to the Constitution with five parts in total. The most significant part is section one. In the very first sentence of section one, ? All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, as citizens of the United States and of the state where in they reside? citizenship was universalized. The Amendment was designed to prohibitRead MoreThe Equal Protection Clause From The Fourteenth Amendment1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe Equal Protection Clause derives from the Fourteenth Amendment, which specifies â€Å"no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As a part of the Reconstruction Amendments, the aforementioned clause was meant to ensure racial equality in the Reconstruction Period and has been applied successfully against the affirmative action. Introduced in United States v. Carolene Products Co., the stri ct scrutiny has been applied to the cases, in which a fundamentalRead MoreThe Importance of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution2912 Words   |  12 PagesThe importance of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is such that some have called it the amendment that â€Å"completed the Constitution.† When it was ratified on July 9th, 1868, the amendment became one of legislative cornerstones of the Reconstruction Era, a time in which the Radical Republicans, led by John A. Bingham and Thaddeus Stevens, promulgated a legislative program focused on providing racial equality before the law. Among the laws passed in the Reconstruction Era