How the Civil War Helped to Abolish Slavery

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In the 1860s the civil war was raging on. One of the biggest issues of the war was slavery. For four long years the north and south fought. Both sides had many successful battles like fredresicksburk and Gettysburg. Finally in the spring of 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. Emidiantly following five years after wars congress passed the three amendments 13th, 14th, and 15th. These three amendments were intended to restructure the United States from a country that was half free to one that guaranteed blessings of liberty to the entire population, including the former slaves and their descendants. These amendments created a spark that led to a series of events that changed America in way that nothing else has. The 13th amendment granted freedom to all slaves and abolished slavery or any kind of unwilling servitude in America. The 14th amendment granted made all slaves or people who are born within the country American citizens. The 15th amendment granted all slaves the right to vote. By making the amendments the congress of America were trying to end discrimination in the country. These three amendments were intended to restructure the United States from a country that was half free to one that guaranteed blessings of liberty to the entire populace, including the former slaves and their descendants. Now that African Americans were free they had to decide what they were going to do. Some moved out to the north and west but many stayed in the south. They got together their scattered families and built churches that also served as community centers, employment agencies, and school houses. For the first time black people... ... middle of paper ... ...artin Luther King Jr. as their leader. As a minister he told them not to use violence. Soon the government started getting involved in situation. They started taking different sides in court cases. They made all white schools start excepting black students. In 1957 they passed the civil rights act of 1957 which created the us civil rights commission who had the power investigate violations of civil rights. Then, congress passed the civil rights bill of 1964. This banned segregation in public accommodation and gave the government the ability to compel school boards to desegregate their schools. The act also allowed the justice department to punish people who violated people’s rights and outlawed discrimination. Without those three important parts of our constitution none of this would have been possible, and the world wouldn’t be the way it is today.

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