Everyday I wake up I check the Today in History app on my phone. Today I saw something that struck me as weird so I wanted to chime in. It kind of coincides with a previous blog from 3/16/11 about how Mississippi finally ratified the 13th Amendment 130 years after it was passed.
On March 8th there was the 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress. By joint resolution of the state legislature and backed by the Governor, Georgia urged the U.S. Congress to declare the 14th and 15th Amendments null and void. For those of us who need a history refresh (like I did), the 14th Amendment deals with citizenship, equality and due process. It overturned the 1857 Dred Scott case (which stated that blacks could not be citizens) and would eventually set the foundation Brown v. Board of Education. The 15th Amendment says that people can not be denied the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude" (i.e., slavery). The South would counter this with the legendary "Jim Crow" laws which tried like hell to limit the ability of Blacks to vote. Both Amendments were part of the Reconstruction Amendments that were established to bring the U.S. from a "half slave and half free" country (Lincoln's words) to a country that guaranteed the "blessings of liberty" for the entire male populace (women would have to wait a few more decades but that's another post).
Apparently the whole Brown v. Board of Education thing was chaffing the state of Georgia and these guys wanted to "continue the battle for segregation." Yes folks, Georgia didn't like the idea of desegregation and they were trying to rally the Southern states behind them.
Granted I haven't read the entire proposal but there is a combination of possible valid points and of course ridiculous nonsense. The memorial claims that the Amendments were passed without two-thirds approval. This would be the one point that seems to carry validity. Here are some other good ones:
It boggles my mind that things like this went on. Not that I enjoy making fun of The South, but it's so easy. Granted each state has things in its past that are disgraceful and ludicrous but The South leads the way. Maybe I should do some research to see who else has got stuff they would like to remain in the closet. I'm going to have to cut this short as I will be heading to the airport shortly. I encourage everyone to check up stuff like this as these things are NEVER taught in history class. As always I welcome your comments. Thanks for your time.
On March 8th there was the 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress. By joint resolution of the state legislature and backed by the Governor, Georgia urged the U.S. Congress to declare the 14th and 15th Amendments null and void. For those of us who need a history refresh (like I did), the 14th Amendment deals with citizenship, equality and due process. It overturned the 1857 Dred Scott case (which stated that blacks could not be citizens) and would eventually set the foundation Brown v. Board of Education. The 15th Amendment says that people can not be denied the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude" (i.e., slavery). The South would counter this with the legendary "Jim Crow" laws which tried like hell to limit the ability of Blacks to vote. Both Amendments were part of the Reconstruction Amendments that were established to bring the U.S. from a "half slave and half free" country (Lincoln's words) to a country that guaranteed the "blessings of liberty" for the entire male populace (women would have to wait a few more decades but that's another post).
Apparently the whole Brown v. Board of Education thing was chaffing the state of Georgia and these guys wanted to "continue the battle for segregation." Yes folks, Georgia didn't like the idea of desegregation and they were trying to rally the Southern states behind them.
Granted I haven't read the entire proposal but there is a combination of possible valid points and of course ridiculous nonsense. The memorial claims that the Amendments were passed without two-thirds approval. This would be the one point that seems to carry validity. Here are some other good ones:
- That when the southern Senators and Representatives appeared in the Capitol to take their seats, "hostile majorities" in both houses of Congress refused to admit them;
- That the proposals were rejected by the State of Georgia and twelve other southern states, as well as some northern states, but that subsequent Congresses illegally dissolved the governments in Georgia and nine other southern states by military force, and that puppet governments "compliantly ratified the invalid proposals."
It boggles my mind that things like this went on. Not that I enjoy making fun of The South, but it's so easy. Granted each state has things in its past that are disgraceful and ludicrous but The South leads the way. Maybe I should do some research to see who else has got stuff they would like to remain in the closet. I'm going to have to cut this short as I will be heading to the airport shortly. I encourage everyone to check up stuff like this as these things are NEVER taught in history class. As always I welcome your comments. Thanks for your time.
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