A Revolution Indeed

Changes that occurred between 1860 and 1877 were, to say the least, staggering. Constitutional and social developments during this time period pushed the United States into a chaotic state, which resulted in colossal political and social changes. Although the turmoil of the issues of black suffrage, civil rights, and states' rights created a sense of uneasiness throughout the nation, Civil War, and Reconstruction led to a significant revolution that would ultimately change American life and thinking.

Political issues were primarily focused on states' rights in the issues of power, currency, and nullification. Northerners believed in a strong central government, while the South desired to have power given to the states. This led to laws and taxes that eventually drove many southern states to nullify. The Nullification Crisis eventually led to the chain reaction of secession, first started by South Carolina, which would result in the Civil War. The Constition reserves certain powers to the states through the Tenth Amendment, and South Carolina believed that the federal government had crossed the line concerning their powers and violated the rights granted to the states. Therefore, South Carolina felt it in their hearts that they had no other choice except to take the ultimate step: secession (Document A). Currency became a debate of who should control and issue it. Southerners believed it should be controlled and issued by the states, while the North believed that it should be nationalized.

During the period between the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction, blacks suffered significant predicaments. However, many developments gave them more freedom, namely the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery. However, this Amendment is the first falling domino that causes a chain of reactions throughout the time period. Limited by the Black Codes, which further oppressed blacks by placing restrctions on them, the Thirteenth Amendment eventually led to the Civil Rights Bill of 1866, which was also a response by the federal government for inadequate assitance for blacks. Also, the Fourteenth Amendment sprung from the Thirteenth in order to protect the civil rights of citizens. The federal government was trying to promote black suffrage. Soon, blacks began to demand the right to vote with the support of the Union and abolitionists in the North and the South, and under Southern Reconstruction they were awarded that right under the Fifteenth