Warm-up: What is discrimination? What do you think can be done to stop it?

Reconstruction Legislation & State Opposition

Acts (laws) A series of Federal Acts were passed to address civil rights of African Americans 13th Amendment 1865- freed the slaves Civil Rights Act of 1866 –all persons born in US were declared citizens and received equal benefit of all laws 14th Amendment 1868—same as Civil Rights Act 1866 Reconstruction Act of 1867—military districts, new state constitutions & ratify 14th Amendment 15th Amendment—right to vote not denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude Civil Rights Act 1875 (Enforcement Act)—no racial discrimination in juries, schools, transportation, and public accommodations (tried to counter what KKK was doing)

Advancing Democracy Ideals & Institutions 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were part of program to ensure civil rights for African Americans Freedom, Citizenship and Voting for African Americans advance American ideals of democracy When the Acts did not seem to be enough, the Federal government attempted to provide rights to African Americans by adding Amendments to the Constitution Women also fought for voting rights during Reconstruction but were still unsuccessful.

State Opposition Black Codes—severely restricted freedom of the freedmen and put them at the mercy of whites Ku Klux Klan—tried to suppress and victimize the newly freed slaves Jim Crow Laws—state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in southern US states—in effect until 1965

Supreme Court Played role in ending Reconstruction 1873 Slaughterhouse Cases 1876 U.S. vs. Reese 1876 U.S. vs. Cruikshank Placed control of individual’s basic civil rights in the hand of the states Limited the federal government’s ability too protect the civil and voting rights of African Americans

Activity: My Windsor website, your class page, yesterday’s date 10/13------ Amendment & Black Codes Readings & questions