Amendments 13, 14, 15

I's remembas it like yestaday. I was out on da farm, plantin some tobacco seeds fo' masta. And then that's when Uncle Tom came runnin ova to me. I aint know what he's was talkin 'bout, but alls I heard was that we was gon' be free. Mr. President Lincoln finally passed that law to make us free. He been sayin' he was goin to, but I ain't pay him no mind! But God was I happy to be free...it was the 13th Amendment they say. Then, afta that...lotta folks was talkin 'bout us coloureds not being able to vote. It was a buncha commotion bout that...so we was complainin and they tolds us that we can't vote cuz we aint what they call citizens. So that's when they made the 14th Amendment. It let us black folk or coloureds become citizens. I was happy cuz that means I had me almost every right as the white folk, except I still couldn't vote. But I was a citizen...and citizens should be able to vote! So, then...it was anotha Amendment, number 15. It says that me and all my othat coloured folks can vote just like white men! I just couldn't believe it...it just kept gettin betta! I knews all them songs to my Lord would pay off...God had really brought us throughs and I's a just jumpin fa joy, even as I tellin yalls 'bout it right nows...

EQ: The use of force (military/political) can not preserve a nation. In fact, using forces seems to bring the opposite of preservation to a nation. Throughout history, including the Civil War and Reconstruction, forces have been used to preserve the nation...and the attempt failed! During the Civil War, the North and the South had a military force attacking the enemy. The North was using military forces to bring the Union back together; Sherman's March consisted of General William T. Sherman trecking throughout the South, burning down everything in his way. The result? A million dollars worth of physical damages, a price the United States would have to pay during the Reconstruction. Also, as for political forces....during the Reconstruction, President Andrew Johnson tried time and time again to use his political forces to preserve the nation. He wanted the Reconstruction to be left for the President alone...using his own political force to bring the nation together again. The result? Many debates and even an impeachment. So, therefore; in conclusion, I must say that using any kind of force, such as military or political, can not preserve a nation.