Tag Archives: American History

02/14/11

The 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment was established on December 6th 1865.  This amendment made it illegal to own slaves.  This was one of the largest amendments considering the excessive amount of slavery in the U.S. especially the South.  From 1865 till today it has been illegal to force someone to work for you even if there is compensation  involved.

The 13th amendment was the 1st amendment that protected blacks in the American constitution.   Abraham Lincoln was the president at the time and just witnessed the civil war which earned blacks the right to live as free people.  The Civil War and was really the major player in declaring America a “free country.”  Soon after the 13th amendment came the 14th and 15th amendments that once again protected blacks.  The 14th amendment allowed blacks to declare themselves as citizens, and the 15th amendment declared that no citizen shall be denired the right to vote regardless of their race, or ethnicity.

In our modern generation people are becoming more and more accepting of others despite their color, and it all started by the prestigious 13th amendment.

02/9/11

Roe vs Wade

Roe vs Wade (1973) was a controversial case on the issue of abortion in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. This was one of the many steps towards women’s rights.

02/7/11

Remembering What Was Meant To Be Forgotten

How America remembers the Civil War or any other historical events, is always going to be based on who wrote history.  Mostly on someones documented memories.  Using primary documents that historians have gathered.  Each with enough supporting evidence to draw up a valid conclusion.  “Valid meaning, each piece of evidence supports the conclusion that certain events occurred, but doesn’t necessarily makes it true or sound.

The review that Eric Foner writes about Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory” by David Blight showed that many people remember the Civil War differently.  Everything from the cause of the war,  political views,  rebuilding, and how it should be looked back on was different; causing drifts and segregation.  It actually made me want to read the book.   I mean I was actually shocked to discover how the celebration of Memorial Day was started, and even more by whom.  It use to just be a day off from work for me.  I can honestly say that has changed a bit.  Funny, while speaking to some friends about it, none of them knew that was how that national holiday began.

The review helped solidify my view of what in history is actually available to you.  How much of the truth do we actually know? How much are we allowed to know?  The people in power make the laws, and the people in power write history.  One should think that judging from what we know about that past, you can come to appreciate, and really thank those people who are able to seek the truth…as they saw it.  The black soldiers that died in the war, could have easily been left out of the memoirs, letters, and documents from those time.  Foner even mentioned how Blight “…gives black Americans a voice…denied in work of memory…”  This to me, shows that historians can choose to omit a lot of the past, if they haven’t already.  This would have completely stolen the voices of black America, and kept us from knowing about the past that many would wish was forgotten. Our current war on terror, is an example of history, though not very distancan be views as being very  politically motivated.  Why are we in the war?  Is it because of the 9/11 terrorist attack, oil, weapons of mass destruction’s, and/or war profiteering. This list can grow longer depending on who you ask.