Introduction
The constitution is the supreme law in the United States of America. The document came in to address the weaknesses of the articles of the Confederation and perpetual Union. The main issue was the collection of revenue by the Federal government. Most of the power was concentrated in the States. The American constitution is a very important part of the US public life because it serves as the foundation on which the values, beliefs and traditions which defines the American people. The federal government could not therefore levy taxes. It had to ask the State governments to assist them collect money. There was also no stable uniform value of money across the states. The value of money varied from state to state. The constitution brought in several changes. It gave the federal government the powers and authorities it needed to collect revenue and stabilize the country’s currency. It spelled out the relationship between the federal government, State government and its citizens.
The State government now knew its powers and limitations. The people had freedom to move between the states. People from another state would not face tougher penalties in different states. The constitution set the rules on border changes or the creation of new states. It establishes three arms of government, the Judiciary, Legislature and the Executive. It also set the rules on how amendments on the constitution would be carried out, what was required for an amendment to be approved.
The History of the Constitution
The current constitution came into effect in September, 1787. The document has gone through a series of amendments, a tuning process as the people wanted it to be fair and equitable to all. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. When the Constitution was coming in effect, there was some resistance as certain citizens felt that the rights of an individual were not clearly spelt out. In 1789, the ten amendments to introduce the Bill of Rights were ratified.
In 1795, after the case of Chisholm v Georgia, in 1793, it was felt that the authority of the Supreme Court had overstepped its mandate. The federal courts were not allowed to hear cases brought against a state by the people of another state. This was the 11th amendment.
The 13th amendment to the constitution took place in December, 1803 where the citizens were allowed to vote for both the president and the vice president. There were no political parties at that time therefore the candidate who had less votes become the vice president. When two candidates gathered the same votes in 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, it was a stalemate that proved to be a challenge. Some states wanted one candidate to be the president while others wanted the other candidate. The issue of slavery in American became a thorny issue at this time.
The 13th amendment to the constitution abolished slavery forever. It was passed just before President Lincoln was assassinated1. The Southern States economy was an agricultural one, they relied on slaves to farm the plantations. In 1808, slave trade was prohibited by the Congress however in 1809, the Constitution allowed it. In the Northern States, slave trade was minimal and by the 1830’s, it had ceased.
When President Lincoln came into power, South Carolina removed itself from the State authority. He was a leader who had spoken out against slavery and the Southern States feared that he would abolish slavery. There were eleven states who withdrew to form the Confederate States of America. Their actions led to the American Civil War. As George Anastaplo noted that the alternative for the North of preserving the Union but destroying slavery depended upon a successful war effort2 .After the State won the Civil War, slavery was abolished in the year 1865. Eight of the Confederates States agreed to the amendments in the same year.
After the war, the others ratified the amendment with the exception of Mississippi which ratified the amendment in 1995. The 14th amendment to the constitution had the aim of helping the ex-slaves fit back into society and a normal life. There were challenges though. The South still wanted the same state of affairs to continue, they therefore passed laws of segregation such as the Jim Crow Laws that were founded on racism. After the Emancipation Declaration, the North was optimistic that the effects of slavery would be dealt with and become a thing of the past. Congress investigation into the segregation led to the 14th Amendment. This amendment granted the ex-slaves American Citizenship and they had the same rights as any other person in the United States.
The Southern States that had been part of the Confederacy were placed under Military rule. Furthermore, their congressmen were not allowed into congress till further amendments to assist the slaves get assimilated into the society. These amendments came to be known as the Reconstruction Acts. The 14th Amendment was ratified in June, 1866. The 15th Amendment allowed the Blacks to participate in voting.
This law was put forward to ensure that it was the end of the discrimination for the Blacks. People’s race or colour would not bar them from voting. It was ratified in February, 1870. The Southern States ratified the Act and their congressmen could now participate in the congress duties.
In my opinion, the constitution is one of the most milestones in the history of the United States. It has enabled many Americans to access many rights like the rights to voting, free media, right to religion, speech and association.
Conclusion
After 1877, the constitution has also gone through several changes or amendments so that the document is equitable and fair. The world is constantly changing and the country finds itself having people of diverse cultures flowing into its borders. Foreign relations are also dynamic.
The changes in the Constitution teach us about the changes the people of United States have gone through. To me, the constitution epitomes the values through which the US is known for. It continues to provide an opportunity for people to express their freedoms and achieve their potentials in an environment of democracy.
Bibliography
Anastaplio, George. Amendments to the Constitution: A Commentary. United States: John
Hopkins University Press. 1995.
Gerteis, Louis ‘Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the
Thirteenth Amendment”. The Journal of American History, 89, No 4 (2002): 1054-
