EOTO Key Post

    The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 and it granted citizenship to all people born in the United States. It can be seen in the Constitution written as “Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (US Constitution) The 14th Amendment was important because it gave African Americans citizenship which was something that they did not have until this time. The 14th Amendment was one of the Amendments passed during the Reconstruction Era. The Reconstruction Era was a historic period after the Civil War when rights started to develop for African Americans and the United States began to shift their political and social views. 

    The Reconstruction Era was from 1861-1900. During this time the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment were added to the US Constitution. These three Amendments changed the United States and the world that we live in. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th gave slaves citizenship, and the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. All of these Amendments changed the United States but not without a lot of work. The evolution of these Amendments led to many challenges in American society and even though the rights of African Americans were protected, society had a hard time with acceptance. What I always wondered about the Civil War and the history of discrimination in the United States was why that even with these rights African Americans were still treated so badly when it came to the law and court system? 

    One example we talked about in class that covered the 14th Amendment and the unfair treatment of African Americans in court was Plessy vs. Ferguson. Plessy vs. Ferguson was a case about a man who was ⅛ black and bought a ticket in the white section of the train cars. He was charged for violating the separate cars act. The 14th Amendment was used to argue in favor of Plessy, but Louisiana used segregation a lot in their society. Plessy broke the social norms of American society in the South at the time and this was why the case didn’t go his way. He lived in white society his entire life and when he bought a ticket, he didn’t think anything of it. When he was charged, it was a shock to him and his lawyers argued for him under the 14th amendment and the rights of all citizens - no matter their race. This was contradicting because the 14th Amendment gave citizenship to African Americans and these rights were constantly taken away. As society evolved, American society became more accepting of African Americans but not without struggle. 

    The 14th Amendment was a huge step for our country and had many positive outcomes for African Americans in the United States. For the first time in history, African Americans were recognized as citizens in the United States. Although the 14th Amendment had its drawbacks in court, overall the 14th Amendment changed the history of the US and we wouldn’t be where we are as a country today without it.