KEY CONCEPT

5.3.II.A Ton Tran

TL;DR
Reconstruction and the Civil War ended slavery, altered relationships
between the states and the federal government, and led to debates
over new definitions of citizenship, particularly regarding the rights of
African Americans, women, and other minorities

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, while the 14th and 15th
amendments granted African Americans citizenship, equal protection
under the laws, and voting rights.

The 13th Amendment (XIII)

The 13th Amendment basically abolished slavery (and involuntary
servitude). It was passed on April 8th 1864 by Senate, and by
Congress in January 31st 1865. It was part of the Reconstruction
Amendments following the Civil war. Even though the amendment
abolished slavery, things such as black codes, white supremacist
violence, selective enforcement of statutes continued to subject some
black Americans to involuntary labor, particularly in the South. This
amendment has not often been cited later in law, but has been used
against some race-based discrimination. This amendment also applies
with private citizens, unlike the 14th and 15th amendment. This
amendment also enables Congress to pass laws againstsex
traffickingand other modern forms of slavery.

The 14th Amendment (XIV)

The 14th Amendment basically granted citizenship and equal
protection of the law to African Americans. It was adopted on July 9 th,
1868. was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves
following theAmerican Civil War. The amendment was bitterly
contested, particularly bySouthern states, which were forced to ratify
it in order for them to regain representation in Congress. The
amendment's first section includes several clauses: theCitizenship
Clause,Privileges or Immunities Clause,Due Process Clause,
andEqual Protection Clause. Regarding the equal protection of the
law, many people in America still held racist beliefs about African
Americans, even after the amendment was passed.

The 15th Amendment (XV)

The 15th Amendment basically prohibited the federal and state
governments from denying a citizen theright to votebased on that
citizen's "race,color, or previous condition of servitude. It was
adopted on March 30th 1870 as the last of the Reconstruction
Amendments. The election ofUlysses S. Grantto the presidency in
1868 convinced a majority of Republicans that protecting the
franchise of black voters was important for the party's future. Because
the full population of freed slaves would be now counted rather than
the three-fifths mandated by the previousThree-Fifths Compromise,
the Southern states would dramatically increase their power in the
population-basedHouse of Representatives.