Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment - Essay Example

The Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment altered the lives of African Americans by setting them free from slavery and also keeping them slaves from having complete freedom. The new changes in the legislation were temporary because throughout the period of 1863 and 1877 the gang-labor system and other federal civil rights complications rose, resulting in a new Amendment that consecrated black civil rights.

After the defeat of the South, the slaves that weren’t controlled by the Union were freed. Lincoln did not free the slaves in the states that were loyal to the Union, simply because he did not want to upset them. The slaves that were freed weren’t completely free because the wages and the rules that plantation owners set up were similar to slavery. The gang-labor system

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation claimed to end slavery and relieve the blacks its impact was limited or restricted. It only was limited to the states that had seceded from the Union. So slavery from the Border States was relatively unaffected. Freedom, therefore, was dependent on the Union Military victory.

“Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it captured the hearts and imagination of millions of Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.” (Archives Government)

            However, despite its limitations, Emancipation Proclamation played a great role in relieving African Americans.  It was the first step toward the end of slavery and the proclamation of human rights. 

            Later there were Amendments that further improved the lives of the Africans.  The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution took place on December 6, 1865. It was ratified by ¾ of the states. This amendment literally outlawed slavery in the United States. This amendment created a strong impact among the people and in the states throughout regarding the problem of slavery.

“Prior to this amendment, Congress consistently passed bills to protect slavery. Although most states had already independently banned slavery prior to this, the amendment served as a milestone in the change of policy. This amendment was proposed while the southern states had not been reinstated into the union just after the civil war, but it still struggled after being rejected by the House of Representatives. The house accepted it the next year after President Lincoln made a strong push of support for the amendment” (Associated Content)

            The fourteenth amendment was added to the constitution on July 9, 1868. This was an act that aimed to relieve the pressure on the former slaves and help them achieve freedom and basic rights entitled to all.

“The 15th Amendment was written to protect the right of citizens to be able to vote, regardless of their race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Although this article promised a lot for African Americans of the time, states and local polls found loopholes in the legislation to prevent them from voting. De jure segregation continued to oppose African Americans from gaining a stronghold in politics. Poll taxes were used to discourage poor races from voting, along with literacy tests made it difficult.” (Associated content)

            In this way, African Americans were slowly and gradually not only getting freed from the problem of slavery they were also getting the opportunity to improve their lifestyles. Things were improving for them and now they could use these increased rights and guarantees to their benefit.