The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 Assignment - 1

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 - Assignment Example With the deprived agriculture in the South, the industrial North became powerful and dominate both politically and economically. Although the North played a vital role in slave freedom, the problem came in the readjustment of vanquished South and victorious North politically and economically. Reconstruction process which focused in states returned in full status passed in four stages such as the appointment of Andrew Johnson as president, Freedmen Bureau which was active in helping refugees, setting employment contract of freedmen. Thirdly, came Radical or Black Reconstruction whereby Republic coalition governed the states under President Ulysses Grant and in fourth stage Redeemer won political control in most states which made all federal troops withdraw, hence the collapse of Republican state governments. "Congressional Radicals strongly disagreed with Andrew Johnson over securing the place of African-Americans in American society." (J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001). Moderate Republicans who fought for black rights were overpowered by Presidential vote in alliance with radicals.Reconstruction came to an end in 1868 after Rutherford B. Hayes elected as President who withdrew all federal troops which led to Southern states. Black Americans struggle did not end with the collapse of reconstruction, racism and white resistance took charge which led to the loss of land for some of Black American to white farmers. The vivid example is in 1878 when Benjamin Montgomery the first ex-slave to purchase land lost it to Jefferson Davis. White Southerners designed laws to keep blacks uneducated, propertyless but agricultural laboring class. Racism became rampant whereas in Jim Crow's legal codes segregate blacks from whites. The code forbade blacks from mingling with whites; furthermore, due to racism blacks could not compete and secure most jobs. The problem was aggravated by the lack of education and skills for most black Americans and no rights to the legal system. The black American struggle had undergone several obstacles and with the collapse of reconstruction, the philosophy of protecting black rights, subjected them into more racial segregations. Racial segregation did not recede, and despite the fact that male blacks were granted voting freedom, women were not allowed to do so. Blacks now were not permitted to board third class in the trains which were the main transportation after the war. Despite the good documentation of black struggle history in Nation and Nations book, such events were not mentioned. Supreme Courts passed laws that made blacks to have separate accommodations and not mingle with whites accommodations and public schools for blacks and whites.

Constitutional & Administrative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Constitutional & Administrative Law - Essay Example he first being that the parliament may legislate upon any subject-matter; secondly that Parliament could not be restricted by a predecessor not restrict the powers of a future Parliament; and finally the validity of Acts of Parliament cannot be challenged. Under the legal theory Parliament is entitled to pass law on anything once it has been passed by the House of Commons, House of Lords and receives Royal Assent and such would be held to be legally valid. The limits that have been listed down are those that have been laid down by the democratic process. Thus theoretically the powers of the parliament are absolute and so an Act can extend beyond the territory of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Parliament can legislate with the Act having retrospective effect. As far as international law is concerned it cannot have effect unless implemented by the Parliament by introduction of an Act. As far as Parliament being bound or being able to bind its successor is concerned importance has been placed on the Act of Union with Scotland 1707, whereby it was suggested that intention of the Act was that it cannot be repealed; however, it is important to mention that there have been amendments that have been made. In Attorney General for New South Wales v. Trethowan2 the Privy Council found the Parliament to be bound by a previous Act while citing the reason that the earlier Act had to be repealed first and so if it was not repealed then the Parliament was bound by it. As far as the new view of sovereignty is concerned Sir Ivor Jennings and Professors Heuston, Marshall, Mitchell and de Smith have stated that Parliament can bind its successor, by redefining itself or by setting out ‘ manner and form’ provisions which need to be followed. A recent example in respect of the procedural requirements is that of Northern Ireland Act 1998 whereby it stated that the Northern Ireland would remain a part of United Kingdom unless done to the contrary by means of a referendum by the