Slavery Gone for Good?
What do civilians think about the 13th amendment?
What does the 13th amendment mean for the United States?
Slavery, our burden.During the Civil war it was a fight for freedom and the abolishment of slavery. In 1863 President Lincoln proposed the Emancipation Proclamation. This was a huge deal to the south. It declared "all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free". For as long as people can remember slavery was a source of coerced labor which benefited the economy greatly. The south in particular was affected by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment which formally abolished slavery. Slaves was the main resource for picking cotton, growing crops such as tobacco, corn, grains, etc. Without the work of slaves the Souths economy wasn't doing very well. How ever on the north side, their economy was actually doing rather well. They had access to more trade routes and had more rail roads so they were able to have many forms of transportation.
How do former slaves and southerners feel about the amendment?
LET US FIND OUT
We went to Louisiana and we talked to a former slave named Jackson Moore. We asked about his thoughts about the 13th amendment, here's what he had to say. "This is a great gift to many african americans all over the country". '' We were always seen as a piece of property and now having our own rights and freedom is a gift of a lifetime". While Jackson's response was positive, there were many people on the opposite side that were very angry about the amendment and actually opposed it. We met up with another southerner in Louisiana named James Hulk. " All these laws passing giving negroes the unnecessary rights they do not need nor deserve".
What other amendments or changes have been ratified since the 13th amendment?
Since the ratification of the13th amendment in 1865, african americans have gradually gained more rights, here's the overview of each of the new amendments that benefit african americans!
13th amendment
Slavery has been going since the early 1600's during the triangle trade route, and the famous Colombian Exchange. In the south Slaves were vital to the thriving crops they planted while working on plantations. But how were they treated you ask? While travelling to their next locations, they were tightly cramped in plank beds in order to save space which led to another problem. DISEASE , DISEASE AND DISEASE. This allowed for diseases to spread such as chicken pox, influenza and more. Not only were slaves kept under harsh conditions, they were often beaten and tortured for not doing things correctly. Many innocent people died due to their harsh treatments while others were treated unequally.
14th amendment
Allowed african americans full citizenship. It states "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."
15th amendment
This was a turning point for the south.This gave african americans the right to vote. Here's a direct quotation "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude".