10/10/2012

History of the United States

Dr. Werner Steger

Class time M/W 4:00-5:15 p.m.

Dr.Eric Foner Lecture Essay

Dr. Eric Foner is one of the most well-known writers in in the world. His books have

been translated in Chinese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Foner won many awards

included, winning teaching award from his University of Columbia. He also appeared on

numerous television shows such as, The Colbert Report. “Is Constitution Day Constitutional?” –

Eric Foner.

The 13th amendment, 14th amendment, and 15th amendment are known in the United

States as the civil war amendments. The 13th amendment, abolished slavery. The 14th

amendment, give citizenship to anyone born in the United States citizenship, regardless of their

parents status. The native Indian was an exceptions, they were not consider American during the

civil war. The 15th amendment prohibits states government denying African American the right

to vote. Women couldn’t vote, the 15th amendment apply to African American men. Those

fundamental changes the nature of our constitutions.

Our 16th President Abraham Lincoln never advocates the right to vote before the civil

war. By the end his life, Lincoln gives some blacks the right to vote. Lincoln was assassinated on

April 14, 1865 right after the civil war. The ones that can vote are the very intelligent blacks, and

the other are the African American men whose served in the Army. It was not a complete

equality, but is a big step. The Abolitionist was a very small group. They believe that African

American had to be recognize as part of American citizen. They monument extended the idea

freedom for everybody, not just blacks.

Andrew Johnson became the 17th President of the United States, after the assassination of

Abraham Lincoln. Johnson is one of the worst president in united states history. He was stubborn

and deeply racist. His perspective is the war is over blacks should go back to slavery. New

government and new laws after the civil war. One of the new law is the black codes, it restricts

African American freedom. Require all black men to sign a labor to whites. The black codes

discriminate American citizenship.

Dating back when George Washington was the president too present day, there are 2000

senates serve in all U.S. history, only 6 of the senates are black out of 2000. The Civil War is

part of our lives. Many debated issues today are reconstruction issues. The State of Arizona

passed a controversial law known as “Arizona Senate Bill 1070”. Arizona SB 1070 supposed to

help stop the illegal immigration. Reconstruction was a failure in a unique ways.