Louisiana v. Callais · ¶131

The Amendment's passage was a momentous occasion. It appeared to affirm that a mere few years after slavery's end, African Americans had become “equal members of the body politic.” E. Foner, The Second Founding 111 (2019) (Foner). President Grant, in a message to Congress, called the Amendment “the most important event that has occurred since the nation came to life.” Ibid. Black Americans similarly referred to the Amendment as the Nation's “second birth.” Ibid. At one of the many celebrations ratification sparked, Frederick Douglass rejoiced that those just released from bondage were now “placed upon an equal footing with all other men”: “Never,” he declared, “was revolution more complete.” Keyssar 82; Foner 112.

preliminary print (page proof)
Source edition
Passage preview. Read in context for the complete text, notes and references.