Freedom of Religion

Engel v. Vitale and Freedom of Religion

University of Phoenix

Introduction

Race, the Court, and the Constitution venerates the timeline of American history among its citizens, both Black and White. The difference in social status of the two races via the Supreme Court and the Constitution was reflected during the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries; also reflecting the twenty-first century. The Constitution incorporated rules regarding slavery; trade and fugitive slaves. “Slavery lasted 250 years” (Patterson, 2009, p. 9). It was followed by the trailed by isolation of blacks from whites (Patterson, p. 9, 2009). The Supreme Court deduced nineteenth century races relations among blacks and whites. Its verdicts assisted in the start of the Civil War. Post Civil War amendments received response from the South.

The Constitution and Slavery

The Constitution addressed slave trade via Article 1, Section 9. According to "The United States Constitution" (2011), " The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person” (Section 9 - Limits on Congress). Slavery was abolished with the Constitution Amendments 13, 14, and 15 ratification; the Bill of Rights. The Founding Fathers disagreed about an assortment of facets concerning slavery.

Slave trade was evident in the South. On March 2, 1807, Thomas Jefferson signed a bill to prohibit trade of foreign slaves in the United States. During 1800s, the Founding Fathers amongst themselves concerning issues of slavery. The reliance of black slaves in America was of enormous interest to the Founding Fathers at the Constitution Convention. Some sincerely believed that black people were as much human as whites. Although the some mindsets indemnified integrity, many...