Question

The quote below was made in an 1867 address to Congress by Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican leader and member of the U.S. House of Representatives:

Have not loyal blacks quite as good a right to choose rulers and make laws as rebel whites? . . . every man, no matter what his race or color . . . has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair play with every other man; and the law should secure him those rights.

Source: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/foner/civil_war/linked_documents/what_is_needed.html

Answer 1

Based on Stevens' perspective in the quote, with which of the following statements would he be likely to agree? (6 points)
Select one:
a. The Reconstruction Amendments are unconstitutional and should be abolished.
b. The Fifteenth Amendment should be extended to guarantee voting rights for women.
c. The clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that guarantees citizens equal protection should be revised.
d. The Reconstruction Amendments are essential to reuniting the country and rebuilding the South.

Answer 2

@whpalmer4

Answer 3

well, it seems like a logical extension of the argument would be that women also have the right to vote, no?

Answer 4

Logical to me, at least, but the Supreme Court saw it otherwise in Minor vs. Happersett.

Answer 5

so what is the answer

Answer 6

I didn't know the gent, don't know how he felt about women, but the argument that he made about black men appears to apply equally well to women, so if he was self-consistent in his thinking, he should have supported giving voting rights to women. That is all I have to say on this question; hopefully that is enough to help you find the correct answer! If not, google is your friend and can provide you with articles on the other amendments mentioned.