Chapter 16: Reconstruction: A Partial Revolution, 1865-1877





The following activities accompany the Legacy for a People and a Nation on "The Fourteenth Amendment" in Chapter 16. Refer to page 456 of Norton, A People and a Nation, Sixth Edition for the complete text of this Legacy. There are three parts to this web page: Questions to Consider, Investigation, and Further Exploration.




Questions to Consider
1. What advocacy groups have successfully used the Fourteenth Amendment to protect their rights? How important are these rulings to our society today?

2. How have the legal system and the U.S. Congress adjusted the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment?

3. Was the United States one of the first or one of the last economically developed nations to pass an amendment promising equal rights to its citizens?


Investigation
Why do many scholars consider the Fourteenth Amendment rights of citizenship more important than the Thirteenth Amendment that freed individuals from slavery? How did the Fourteenth Amendment transform the rights of states and the Federal Government? What groups are using the Fourteenth Amendment today in an attempt to protect their rights?
To help address these issues, visit the The Brown Foundation For Educational Equity, Excellence and Research,
which provides a rich multimedia site on the events leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision and some of the subsequent decisions influencing access to education.




Further Exploration
1. Read the Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment.

2. Build your understanding of the amendment process.

3. You can read about the history and development of Jim Crow laws. Be sure to read about those who overcame these restrictions to achieve fame.