Amendments 12, 13, 14 & 15 are often referred to as a major turning point in the US government policy?
Amendments 12, 13, 14, and 15 are the considered the amendments that changed the United States because they are the ones that have shaped America today. Before many of any these amendments gave power to white people, instead of other races that also lived in the country. If these amendments were not passed, there would probably be slavery and many Americans wouldn’t have much of the rights that we have now.
Amendment 12 changed how the president and vice president are elected. It discusses how they both are able to be elected on separate ballots, instead of it being the president/vice president being voted for as one.(In which the vice president is chosen because he had the second highest amount of votes). Now in days, when the vice president is elected...it is because the president chose him/her. This was a turning point that really made a difference in the way government ran things.
Amendment 13-15: This amendment is one that really set a tone of freedom in America. When slavery was abolished, it seemed as if things changed for the better. The government now is diverse, and consist of different races, instead of only caucasian people. If this amendment weren’t passed, who’s to say that blacks would even be free to this day? Or would have the rights that whites have had for a long time? Slavery being abolished serves as a big part of history, and it’s the reason why my family today has a chance to make a living of their own. Even though this amendment is referred to as a major turning point, I believe that we are still living in slavery...modern day slavery. I believe that black people still do not have the same rights as white people or the same opportunities. Many black people are still deprived of things, such as jobs and education. College tuition is very expensive for many black families and by not being allowed to send their children to college, just adds on to the gap between the two races. White people in the past were the only individuals that were allowed to vote. This made their race more isolated and held a higher importance than any other, this has been hard to change over the course of the years. When people of all races were allowed to vote, it showed that the government opened up and saw that white people weren’t the only people in the world who deserved to have a say in how representatives of the state were chosen. It gave the United States a feeling of being a equal place, with less problems of separation. Overall, these amendments still paved a way for all people to be free and not be a known prisoner of the world.
Why do you suppose these amendments were passed when they were - given how popular white supremacy has been in the US?
I believe that these amendments were passed at that certain period of time, because black people began to stand up for what they believed in, and white people begin to realize that they had to give up the fact that slavery wouldn’t last forever. For many years there had been white people who told blacks what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It came a time where even white people believed that blacks should have some say so in their own actions.
Martin Luther King Jr played a role in getting rights for all. During this movement, he referred frequently to the constitution and relied on it to help get the idea across to people that we all should be equal. There were many run away slaves during slavery, and even though when some were caught and didn’t live on, this didn’t stop more from trying to become free. This showed their determination to be free, and probably helped to make it known that many of them weren’t scared of breaking the rules anymore. White supremacy was slowly but surely becoming less and less threatening during this time. Things were changing in the world, and people began to realize that they deserved to have rights that whites only had. It seemed as if white people couldn’t have saved slavery even if they wanted to, because of the turn that the united states was taking. Black leaders and speakers began to blossom more and more, and soon whites knew that it was the time to let all people live equally.
Part 6- The rest of the constitution:
Evaluate Amendments 11-17 - which are the most powerful? Which are the most important?
Personally, I believe that the 13th amendment was one of the most important/powerful amendment of all. This amendment gave me the right to sit here and type this response, because it abolished slavery. If this had not been made, there is no question to where I might have been right now, being a black person. If gave my family and many other black families around the world the chance to live on their own and raise families such as any other American living in the United States. It helped to strengthen the way American was structured, and improved the diversity of the state. Letting black people go free from working under white masters, helped give hope to the economy. Maybe it didn’t fully change the social class in the world between black and whites, but it served as a way to get them closer together. I am thankful for this amendment, and happy that It could have made the change in America that allowed me to be “equal” to others.
Another amendment that I feel is very important is the 15th amendment. This is what allowed people to vote no matter the color of their skin or their gender, or other things that prohibited individuals from voting. During the 2008 election, I reflected back on this amendment and discussed with my 18 year old sister the reason why she was allowed to vote this year. The color of her skin and her gender wouldn’t have allowed her to vote...because she is a black female. This amendment broke down barriers for many people and made people feel as if they had rights to do things in this country, that they wouldn’t have been allowed to do if this amendment would not have been passed.
