Federal Government Has Expanded Through the Years

¶ … 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.

The Fourteenth Amendment was enacted as a result of the Civil War. 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. Republicans had sought for amendment in an effort to safeguard the voting rights for blacks in the south and to ban racial discrimination. This amendment went unenforced by the government. Even though this increased the role of the federal government, enhancing the political structure, there was no value to the social and economic structures because of no enforcement. The social issues of unequal voting rights and discrimination were prevalent.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was enacted to protect the rights of the newly freed slaves, preserve the Republican Party's power in the south, and ban racial discrimination in public schools, churches, and public places, which eliminated segregated schools. (Congress, 2004) This act included a damage remedy of $500 for any person that was victim of discrimination. It became a criminal offense to discriminate that was subject to a $1,000 fine and imprisonment up to a year. In years prior to the Civil War, the black race lived enslaved in the south. Even though the northern states had freed them, black children were only allowed to attend segregated schools for blacks, they were designated back seats in public transportation, and they were forbidden to enter most public places. White supremacy groups would riot them, burning their homes, killing some of their members, and tormenting the entire race. The passing of the Civil Rights Act increased the federal government's authority to further develop the social structure by making it illegal to discriminate. It also further developed the economic structure by allowing blacks the right to hold jobs and have a fair wages for their labor. The political structure was increased with greater federal government authority.