Civil War Amendments, Civil Rights Movement, and Federal Power: Comprehensive Notes
Slavery was a major problem and hurt the economy of the Southern states. The lecture describes it as a deep-rooted system.
By 1865, when the Civil War ended, about of enslaved people were already free due to the Emancipation Proclamation. The Thirteenth Amendment then ended slavery across the whole country.
The Thirteenth Amendment said: "no slavery, nowhere, no how." The speaker stressed how complete this rule was.
The Fourteenth Amendment aimed to stop old power structures from coming back. It focuses on treating everyone equally under the law. The speaker pointed out:
No state can make laws that only apply to some people. Everyone must follow the same laws in the same situations.
In simple terms: all people are treated the same by the law, no matter their race or other traits.
The Fourteenth Amendment also covers who is a U.S. citizen by birth:
The amendment does not directly mention race or slavery. But it was meant to stop former slave owners from reviving old ideas about loyalty or keeping people out.
There is a current discussion (at the time of the lecture) about how anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen under this amendment, even if their parents entered the country illegally. This raises questions about the amendment's reach.
The lecturer gave an example: a company in China might fly pregnant workers to U.S. territory (like Uruguay) to have babies. The child would then be a U.S. citizen at birth. This example shows debates about who gets citizenship and what "under the control of our laws" means.
The lecturer shared a personal story about citizenship: his daughter born in Bolivia could become a Bolivian citizen. His daughter born in France (while he was a diplomat) would not automatically be French or a U.S. citizen. This shows how complex citizenship can be in different places.
The Fifteenth Amendment clearly states: no state can stop a person from voting because of their race or if they were formerly enslaved. This amendment includes rules to stop states from finding ways around Black voting rights.
The speaker noted that in some states, like North Carolina, Black citizens were a majority at certain times. This made it even more important to protect their right to vote.
People tried to get around the Fifteenth Amendment for a long time using things like "checkpoints." This shows how hard it was to stop voter suppression.
The Sixteenth Amendment created a federal income tax. The lecture explained this as a shift of power to Washington, D.C., in terms of money and rules.
Before this, tariffs (taxes on imported goods) were the main source of federal money. The speaker noted the desire for an income tax that charged higher earners more. There was also a worry that the government would get too much power through taxes.
The idea: "money equals power." More federal money meant the federal government had more sway over national rules and how state economies ran.
The lecture connects the Sixteenth Amendment to later uses of money to influence policies. Examples include giving out contracts and deciding which states get funds.
The Great Depression and the New Deal (Franklin D. Roosevelt) greatly increased federal power. New government agencies and money sources were used to fix the crisis.
At first, the Supreme Court rejected some New Deal programs. They said the federal government did not have the right to set prices or control production in certain ways.
Despite court challenges, federal power grew. State governors usually supported federal help when the economy was collapsing.
The policies from the Depression era created lasting federal programs and power that continued long after the crisis ended.
The civil rights movement lasted many decades. It ended with major federal civil rights laws and changes in how power was shared between the federal government and states.
The military was desegregated in 1948: President Harry S. Truman (the lecturer spelled it uniquely) ended segregation in the armed forces. World War II showed that racism was a problem and that the military needed to be more open to all.
Congress found it hard to pass civil rights laws: a long Senate debate tactic, called a filibuster, was used. A small group of white Southern Democrats could speak endlessly and stop bills from being voted on.
How a Senate filibuster worked (described like a story): debates could go on for hours. One senator could make everyone on the floor tired, stopping laws. This tactic slowed down progress.
Truman used executive orders to desegregate the military, avoiding Congress. This showed how a president could use their power to push civil rights quickly.
Military boot camp as a way to make people equal: in boot camp, recruits of different races faced tough times together. This helped break down racial differences and taught a wider lesson about skill and teamwork.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): This Supreme Court ruling said public schools must desegregate. Communities fought back with state actions. For example, the Arkansas National Guard stopped Black students from entering schools that used to be only for white students.
Eisenhower stepped in: he sent federal soldiers (the 101st Airborne) to Arkansas. Their job was to force schools to desegregate. This showed that the federal government would act against states that resisted civil rights.
After Brown: by the late 1960s, desegregation in the South improved, but at different speeds. The speaker noted that during Nixon's time as president (1969–1974), the number of Black students in segregated schools in the South dropped from about to around in some areas.
Political change: The Democratic Party, which once supported slavery and segregation, changed to support civil rights. This change led to new political divides between the North and South. Northern Democrats backed Black voting rights, while Southern Democrats fought them.
Federal civil rights laws: The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 were passed. The federal government used its power and money more and more to promote civil rights. This included rules for federal grant programs and laws against discrimination (e.g., Equal Employment Opportunity rules).
Federal money, grants, and how governments work together as tools for policy:
The lecture described three main types of federal grants:
Project grants: These are for very specific things. For example, for new computers for a high school, with clear rules on how the money can be used.
Categorical (category) grants: These are larger sums for a general area, like for education. States have some freedom in how they spend it within that area (but not on things like highways).
Block grants: These are large sums given to states for general purposes. The state decides how to use the money (e.g., for health, police, education). States have more power, but the federal government still checks on them and often links money to following rules.
This grant system gave some power back to the states, but money was still a way for the federal government to influence policy (e.g., civil rights rules, EEO hiring demands).
States were afraid of losing federal money, which influenced their decisions. For example, highway money was tied to adopting federal speed limits (the 55 mph rule), with one exception in Montana.
The lecture mentioned ongoing talks about the balance between federal power and what states control. Recent examples include sanctuary cities/states, showing continued arguments in federalism.
Other details and examples:
The speaker told a funny story about Montana: it fought the 55 mph limit because of its wide-open spaces and few people. Montana argued it would keep a higher speed limit and give up federal highway money if needed.
Stories about energy policy in the 1970s: The energy crisis made gas prices shoot up (for example, from about to ). This pushed for cars that used less fuel (cars often got only 8 miles per gallon back then).
The energy response included a 55 mph speed limit and a focus on fuel efficiency. There were also talks about the federal government making states adopt the limit to get federal highway funding.
The lecturer's side note about ongoing debates on freedom, sanctuary policies, and federal money shows the lasting theme of how federal and state governments share power in making policies.
Looking ahead: The instructor said that the next class would cover civil liberties and civil rights, explaining the difference between the two and their legal impacts.
Key dates, amendments, and terms (quick reference)
Emancipation Proclamation: issued during the Civil War; actually freed many enslaved people in Confederate areas by 1865.
Thirteenth Amendment:
Fourteenth Amendment:
Fifteenth Amendment:
Sixteenth Amendment:
Civil Rights Act (federal) of 1964; Voting Rights Act (federal) of 1965; Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing, etc.).
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): ordered public schools to desegregate.
Desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces: 1948 (done by President Truman's order).
101st Airborne sent to Arkansas to enforce desegregation: by the Eisenhower government.
Great Depression and New Deal: late 1920s–1930s expansion of government action; federal programs and court cases changed federal-state power.
55 mph national speed limit policy (mid-1970s energy crisis time): federal money influenced state highway rules.
Grant types: project grants, categorical grants, block grants; ways for federal government to give money and for states to have some choice.
Concepts: birthright citizenship, equal protection, the back-and-forth power sharing between federal and state governments, trade between states, EEO hiring rules, conditions for federal grants.