“The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person life, liberty or property, without due process of law or to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” By directly mentioning the role of the states, the 14th Amendment greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to all Americans and is cited in more litigation than any other amendment.” That same year North Carolina adopted a new state constitution as the result of a Republican ran convention. The 1868 constitution gave more power to the people and to the governor. The governor was now elected for a four-year term, rather than for two years, and his authority was also increased. State and county officials were to be elected by popular vote, and all men, regardless of race or property qualifications, were eligible to vote and to hold office. The constitution also called for free public schools for North Carolinians between the ages of six and twenty-one, as well as for state prisons and charitable institutions. However, when Conservatives regained control of the state in the 1870s, the General Assembly called another convention. This 1875 convention passed 30 amendments that restored much of the General Assembly’s former power. It also required segregation in schools and prohibited marriages between whites and blacks. Despite these amendments, the constitution of 1868 remained the basic structure of government in NC until 1971, and much of the language from this document remains in the state constitution today. loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/14thamendment.html
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 16:45:07 +0000
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