The American Constitutionalist Episode 13 – August 10, 2020
The American Constitutionalist Podcast team - Jeff Tokar, Cliff DeCamp, “Cousin” David Gibbs and Lonny Wilder work the round table in today’s coverage of the 13th and 14th Amendments
The 13th amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
The move was largely symbolic, as it only freed slaves in areas outside of Union control, but it changed the conflict from a war for the reunification of the states to a war whose objectives included the destruction of slavery. Lincoln believed that a constitutional amendment was necessary to ensure the end of slavery.
The 14th Amendment: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The 14th Amendment established citizenship rights for the first time and equal protection to former slaves, laying the foundation for how we understand these ideals today. It is the most relevant amendment to Americans' lives today.