Withrow Amendments

After the Civil War, Southern state legislatures attempted to restrict the rights of formerly enslave persons by enacting Black Codes. How did the Radical Republicans in Congress respond?

• They created the Freedman's Bureau.
• They enacted new laws to punish the South.
• They proposed the 13, 14 and 15th Amendments.
• They supported settlements of former plantation lands.

A primary reason for the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment (1868) was to

• punish the South for their secession from the Union
• uphold the legality of the Black Codes
• continue the Presidential plan for Reconstruction
• guarantee citizenship rights to the newly freed slaves

The "equal protection" clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has been used to challenge the death penalty on the grounds that

• trials are often delayed for trivial and insignificant reasons
• differences exist from state to state in how capital punishment is applied
• judges lack the necessary experience in capital punishment cases
• media coverage greatly limits a defendant's ability to receive a fair trial

After the Civil War, the purpose of adding the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution was to

• expand educational opportunities for Native Amrican Indians
• allow women to become full citizens
• guarantee African Americans equal treatment under the law
• extend constitutional rights to new territories

The Fourteenth Amendment was adopted in 1868 primarily to

• protect the rights of formerly enslaved persons
• make it easier for immigrants to become citizens
• extend suffrage to settlers on the Great Plains
• require the federal government to pay the costs of Reconstruction

Amendments 16 through 19 responded to calls for reform during the Progressive Era.
 Congress has attempted to deal with the issue of lowering the tax burden on low income citizens by encacting a

• high tariff.
• property tax.
• sales tax.
• graduated income tax.

The Bill of Rights was drafted in response to the national debate over the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
Use the Passage below to answer the question.
"The school officials banned and sought to punish petitioners for a silent, passive expression of opinion... In the circumstances of the present case, the prohibition of the silent, passive "witness of the armbands," ... is no less offensive to the Constitution's guarantees." 
                 ----Supreme Court decision, Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• the right to vote
• the right to free speech
• the right to bear arms
• the right to due process

Amendments 16 through 19 responded to calls for reform during the Progressive Era.
Use the passage below to answer the question.
"MISS ANTHONY: When I was brought before your honor for trial, I hoped for a broad and liberal interpretation of the Constitution and its recent amendments, that should declare all United States citizens under its protecting aegis (shield) --- that should declare equality of rights the national guarantee to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. But failing to get this justice---failing, even, to get a trial by a jury not of my peers---I ask not leniency at your hands---but rather the full rigors of the law."
                          ---United States v. Susan B. Anthony, 1873
The constitutional amendments referred to in this statement were ratified to

• end the importation of slaves.
• increase federal revenue.
• institute national Prohibition.
• provide legal rights to African Americans.

The 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol. Which of the following governmental actions was required to overturn this amendment?

• U.S. Supreme Court decision
• Executive order
• passage of a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution
• new Congressional legislation

Which statement best explains the importance of the right of assembly guaranteed under the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

• It allows legislative bodies to meet regularly.
• It allows citizens to meet and discuss how to influence their government.
• It provides beneficial social contacts for citizens.
• It provides the news media with information on political candidates.