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What the leaders of the State of Minnesota have forgotten is that the issues if States Rights were decided in 1865 and 1866.
In 1865, "States' Rights" was a central, yet contradictory, theme, with Southern states asserting autonomy through restrictive "
Black Codes" to control freed slaves, while the federal government asserted its supremacy by passing the
13th Amendment (abolishing slavery), the
Civil Rights Act of 1866, and the first
Reconstruction Act, all expanding federal power and rights, fundamentally challenging traditional Southern state authority over labor and citizenship.
Federal Actions Asserting Supremacy
- 13th Amendment (Ratified Dec 1865): Formally ended slavery nationwide, overriding state laws that supported it, marking a huge federal expansion into state affairs.
- Freedmen's Bureau Act (March 1865): Established federal oversight for aid, labor contracts, and education for freedmen, directly intervening in state economies and social structures.
- First Reconstruction Act (1865-1866): Placed former Confederate states under military rule and required them to adopt new constitutions ensuring Black suffrage and ratify the 14th Amendment, asserting federal control over state governance.
Southern States' "States' Rights" Actions (Black Codes)
- In defiance, Southern states passed Black Codes, laws designed to keep freedmen in quasi-slavery by restricting their movement, employment (forcing them into contracts or apprenticeship), and rights, effectively using "states' rights" to maintain racial hierarchy.
These actions collectively marked the end of the extreme states' rights philosophy that had led to secession, establishing the supremacy of the federal government in matters of basic civil rights and national unity.
Walz and Minnesota, especially the Mayor of Minneapolis are facing significant legal challenges and a federal criminal investigation regarding federal authority over states, particularly in the context of immigration enforcement.