Reconstruction Era Policies Legacy and Shaping Of Contemporary Voting Rights Legislations (Term Paper Sample)

RECONSTRUCTION ERA POLICIES LEGACY AND SHAPING OF CONTEMPORARY VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATIONS Name Class Information Date The reconstruction era embodies a pivotal period in American history as the country rose from the ashes following the Civil War mayhem. The era is characterized by a concerted effort to rebuild the nation and enact progressive legislation for the benefit of all citizens. The Reconstruction Amendments legislation introduced sweeping civil rights changes. Such changes included enshrining universal suffrage rights regardless of race, proscribing slavery, and guaranteeing citizenship. However, despite these milestones, the Reconstruction policies' legacies profoundly shaped existing modern voting rights legislation limitations, reflecting a perpetual quest for equity in expressing civil opinions on the ballot. The Reconstruction Era policies have had enduring impacts on contemporary American voting rights legislation through systemic suppression of minority voter rights, perseverance of racial prejudice in polls, and enhanced mobilization of electorates. The Reconstruction Amendments provided the essential legal framework for eliminating barriers in the American electoral system. The 13th and 14 Amendments eliminated and conferred citizenship to all individuals naturalized or born in the United States at the time. The legislation eradicated disenfranchisement against African Americans and bolstered equity in voting rights. However, the potency of the amendments was reduced due to formidable resistance from the political class, resulting in the enactment of retrogressive laws such as the Grandfather Clause and poll taxes.. Such measures further exacerbated African American discrimination in voting for years. Despite the Voting Rights Act of 1965 banning all these legislations, their legacy reverberates in modern America concerning voter suppression strategies like gerrymandering.[Thomas Nast et al., “Reconstruction and Its Aftermath - the African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship | Exhibitions (Library of Congress),” 2020, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/reconstruction.html.] [Boleslaw Z. Kabala and Rainey Johnson, “An American Notwithstanding Clause? Between Potestas and Potentia,” Laws 10, no. 3 (September 10, 2021): 72, https://doi.org/10.3390/laws10030072.] Moreover, the policies enacted in the era created federal oversight instruments for implementing and monitoring voting rights, especially in the South. The Reconstruction Acts of 1897 enactment provided for the delimitation of the former Confederate states into independent governance units, including a clause for mandatory universal suffrage for all adult males, regardless of race. The law was a crucial federal tool for legitimizing African American voters during Reconstruction. The subsequent rollbacks reported during this era have been echoed in current voting rights legislation. For example, the Shelby County v. Holder verdict by the Supreme Court nullified central provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ring-fencing the federal government's oversight roles in regulating elections, and exemplifies continued voter suppression through legislation.. Discriminatory voting laws continue to thrive, enabling voter suppression across many states.[Kabala and Johnson, “An American Notwithstanding Clause? Between Potestas and Potentia.”] [Kristen Clarke, “Reflecting on the 10th Anniversary of Shelby County V. Holder,” Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice, June 23, 2023, https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/reflecting-10th-anniversary-shelby-county-v-holder#:~:text=The%20Shelby%20County%20ruling%20marked,were%20covered%20under%20Section%205.] Additionally, the Reconstruction Era policies laid the groundwork for community mobilization and grassroots activism in agitating for voting rights. The legislation implemented during the era provided an impetus for civil rights organizations. For instance, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.) emerged in this era and played a central role in promoting racial equality and civil rights in voting laws.. Such organizations provided a framework for driving advocacy which has been adopted in modern civil movements such as American Civil Liberties Union (A.C.L.U.). The movem...