Why did it take so long for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to take full eff

Question: Why did it take so long for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to take full effect!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The 13th Amendment (which outlawed slavery) was ratified in 1865, so that didn't take much time!.

The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, only three years after the end of the Civil War!. This was the same year that Andrew Johnson was impeached; they were very busy that year!. Three years doesn't seem much time for ratification of a Constitutional Amendment, especially when you consider its sweeping effects:
1) Citizenship was granted to all persons born in the United States!.
2) The Constitutional provision that counted slaves as 3/5 of a person was rejected, although Indians were still not counted!. There is a provision which allows banning voting by former members of the CSA, and which allows for reducing representation in Congress!. Undoubtedly this was rather controversial, and it was not accepted until the radical wing of the Republican Party was in full control!.
3) The third section limits the rights of former CSA members to serve in Congress!. The fourth allows payment for debts related to the Civil War, but does not acknowledge debts of the Confederacy nor does it agree to pay compensation for emancipation of slaves!. No doubt these were somewhat controversial at the time, and it wasn't until the radicals were in full control that the amendment could be passed!.

The 15th Amendment says "The right of all citizens!.!.!.to vote shall not be abridged!.!.!.on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude!." This Amendment was ratified in 1870, five years after the war ended!.

Richard D!. Heffner notes, "It was!.!.!.to protect the fruits of this economic revolution (change from an agrarian to an industrial society), not to defend the freedman's new rights nor even to wreak vengeance upon the defeated Southerners, that Radical Republicans imposed military and political control on the South in the tragic era of Reconstruction!.

"Throughout Reconstruction!.!.!.the objective of the Radical Republicans was to translate emancipation into a political weapon and to impose ***** (sic) suffrage upon a violently protesting South, not in consideration of the freedman's undeniable rights, but out of concern for Republican strength!.!.!.But later, when ***** suffrage no longer served Republican ends, zeal for the *****'s rights disappeared!."

Of course, the above only addresses the question of ratification of the amendments!. In fact, the 13th Amendment is still not in full effect, as there are thousands of slaves (mostly sex-workers, and mostly immigrant females) who are slaves in the United States today!.

I'm not sure when and if all Native Americans were considered full citizens; certainly the genocide so widely practiced in the West during the 19th century indicates that it wouldn't have been until much later!.

The Voting Rights Act wasn't passed until 1965, a full 95 years after the 15ht Amendment!. I'm not going to go into the history of the Civil Rights movement here!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The 13th amendment, once passed was never directly challanged!. Once passsed slavery died!.

However the 14th and 15th amendments are a different
story!.
1!. The 14th amenment's "due process" clause was at 1st
only believed to apply to the Federal Government!. The
Supreme Court had overturned the Civil Rights Act of
1875 which had allowed the Federal Government to
protect the Civil Rights of African Americans!. This
allowed the Southern States, for the most part, to create
"Jim Crow" laws which created segregated public
facilities!. These inferior facilities and other laws which
prohibited the African American from voting
(15th amendment) or having any Civil RightsThese were
poll taxes, literacy tests, whites only primaries and if that
failed beating or lynching were used!.

2!. The Due Process clause was Federalized, or applied
to the states gradually!. It started out with Schenck vs
United States in the 1920's and by the 1950's the Brown
vs!. Board of Education for Topeka integrated schools,
but only after 20 years of hard legal fighting in the south!.
The Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and then the
60's lead by Dr!. Martin L King got President Kennedy to
propose Civil and Voting Rights Laws but President
Johnson got them passed!. Jim Crow in public facilities
and voting was dead!.
Sorry for being long but that was a no short answer
question!. Hope that helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

3rd Questions and NTY i dont want to help with your homework!. (people help with your homework in HOMEWORK HELP not history)Www@QuestionHome@Com