¶ … federal government has expanded through the years to develop stronger political, social, and economic structures. Social and economic issues brought about by the social issues in years prior to the Civil War and the legislation in years after the Civil War in an attempt to resolve the issues expanded the authority of the federal government. The black race was enslaved in the South, but free in the North. The role of the federal government became stronger to influence the political, social, and economic issues in an effort to build freedom and a stronger economy.
Impressment was the legislated policy to seize food, fuel, slaves, and the other commodities for armies during the Civil War. The tax-in-kind law, passed a month later, allowed the government to impress crops from farmers at a negotiated price. (DeCredico, 2011) Because of insufficient enforcement, prices below market value, and abuse of labor, citizens hoarded goods and impersonated agents to steal commodities as a result of the Impressment by the Confederate government. The Impressment Act was passed on March 26, 1863. This act directed military officials, with assistance of state boards, to buy food, fuel, and other needed commodities at fair prices. The pricing schedule was to be adjusted every two months and published in local newspapers. This act strengthened the role of the federal government in social and economic structures by making the pricing fairer to help citizens to provide for a fair living. After the defeat of the Confederate Government, social issues arose again on the fairness of goods and labor being below market value. Even though the social and economic structures had some improvement, the issues of below market pricing and abuse of labor had not been resolved to bring fairness for society.
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The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave citizenship to any citizen, including blacks, who had been born in the U.S. States could no longer enforce law that took away a citizen's right to life, liberty, or property without due process. The right to vote was also included in the amendment. (Law, 2005) This amendment brought the end of slavery of blacks, ended discrimination, and guaranteed due process of law. As a result of increased role of the federal government, the social structure was strengthened to bring about more fairness to all people, the economic structure was strengthened to bring the rights for citizens to make a fair living, and the political structure was strengthened to enforce the fairness for all citizens.
In 1868, white Democrats had resorted to violence and intimidation to prevent blacks from voting. The Fifteenth Amendment was enacted to ensure black equal voting rights. (States, 2005) In the northern states, blacks had lost the right to vote because of the abolishment of property and suffrage qualifications, as well as distrust from whites. Democratic state governments had blocked the rights of the blacks to vote.…
