Fifteenth Amendment

On this day, February 3, in 1870 the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. The Fifteenth Amendment was an extremely important step in the struggle for civil rights in America. The amendment stated that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."1


Unfortunately, the promise that the amendment stated would not be realized for nearly a century later until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. Between 1870 and 1965 states used a variety of methods in discriminating against minorities and keeping them from voting. These methods included Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests, which African Americans struggled to overcome because they were also discriminated against in the work force and in the educational system.

An interesting anecdote of the XV Amendment is how it is assumed to have made its way to Congress. Ulysses S. Grant won election to President in 1868 primarily due to the republican African American votes in the South. Grant was elected by a small margin and without these votes he might have lost to his opponent Horatio Seymour. Grant believed if more African Americans were given the right to vote, it would strengthen his party for future proceedings. The amendment had an effect on National politics for a short time as it allowed Northern African Americans to vote, even though the Southern States resisted African American voting with violence, intimidation, poll taxes, and literacy tests.

To view the actual XV amendment go to http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=44

The First 100 Days

For anyone who follows politics there has been much recent publication in the media of the phrase "The First 100 Days." This post will shed some light on the phrase, give the historical significance and discuss the current events surrounding its usage.

The First 100 Days is most commonly linked to the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) presidency in 1933. FDR's presidency was historically one of the most significant in the nation's history for various reasons. FDR was elected successfully to four terms as President, this was before there was a law capping presidential terms at two. FDR was also President during some of the most tumultuous times in our country's history. When FDR took the oath of office the United States was in the height of the great Depression and on the verge of the most destructive war in history, WWII.

The First 100 Days refers to FDR's ability to push sweeping reform through Congress within the first 100 days of his presidency. When FDR took office there were more than 13,000,000 citizens unemployed, and the financial system had completely collapsed. FDR proposed and Congress enacted a program "to bring recovery to business and agriculture, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing homes and farms, and reform, especially through the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority." (www.WhiteHouse.gov/about/presidents/franklindroosevelt/)

While there is some debate on the overall influence of the reforms passed, there is little doubt into the historical significance of passing so much legislation in such a short amount of time. Despite FDR's efforts, the oppression of the depression lasted until wartime production created a strengthening economy for the United States. The first 100 days phrase resonates today because of the similarities between Barack Obama's presidency and that of FDR's. Obama now assumes the role of President in a time of economic hardship worse than anytime since the Great Depression. Like FDR, Obama is a liberal minded President who is expected to pass sweeping legislation intended on helping the struggling American. Only time and history can tell if Obama will have greater success in turning around the economic situation than FDR had in the 1930's.

Obama is aware of the historical significance of the First 100 Days and recently referred to it in an interview with 60 Minutes. "I hope my team can emulate (FDR)...not always getting it right, but projecting a sense of confidence and a willingness to try things, and experiment in order to get people working again." Obama is a Historian who has hopefully learned from the mistakes made by past Presidents and will create his own plan for success, rather than emulating failed plans from decades earlier.

So far it has been interesting to watch our new President act. He is currently pushing through a 775 billion dollar stimulus plan that is aimed at helping out the struggling Americans in a hope to revitalize the economy in the short run. It will be interesting to see if he can mimic the success of FDR and get Congress to pass the plan and push Obama past the first obstacle of his first 100 days.

First Post

This is the first post to this new blog of mine. The goal of this blog is to discuss relevant historical topics through my own interpretation of History. All of my posts will be researched and accurate to the best of my ability, although I want to point out that history is not an exact science. History is interpretation of primary documents and events and that is how I draw my conclusions. I hope everyone enjoys this blog and I encourage any contributions from anyone who wishes to add their opinions.