Enforcement Acts - Historical Events Leading To The Act

Historical Events Leading To The Act

The act was created to enforce Fourteenth Amendment which was passed after events that took place at the end of the Civil War. Southern States initially were reluctant to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, and many refused. As a result, congress sent military to the south and initiated radical reconstruction in the South. Lynchings stated to become very popular along with the destruction of many properties.

Also, Abraham Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This document issued that all slaves should be freed in the states that had seceded from the union. This was a presidential order, and there was concern that it might be ignored. As a result, United States Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery completely. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was unsuccessful in ending slavery, and many states created “Black Codes” which were laws that put strict regulations on the newly freed slaves.

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